Nativity c. 16th century

Curator: This is a woodcut depicting the Nativity scene, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, by an anonymous artist. Editor: It has this very stark, graphic feel, almost like a blueprint, but infused with such a tender, almost melancholic stillness. Curator: The medium itself, woodcut, speaks to a wide distribution of images and ideas. It made religious iconography accessible, a crucial aspect of the era's social and religious landscape. Editor: Absolutely, and look at the details: the way the lines create texture, the angels hovering with their "Gloria in excelsis Deo." It's this blend of the divine and the everyman. Curator: The rough-hewn nature of the woodcut emphasizes labor and the physical act of creation, connecting the spiritual narrative to the earthly realm. Editor: It’s both rough and delicate. It really makes me think about the kind of faith embedded into everyday life at the time. Curator: Indeed. It’s fascinating how materiality shapes our interpretation, isn’t it? Editor: Totally. Thanks for that insight; it gives me a new appreciation of the piece.