Deut. XVIII c. 16th century

Curator: This stark woodcut is titled "Deut. XVIII" by Hans Holbein the Younger. Look at the intense narrative scene. Editor: There's such a raw feel to it, a real sense of drama captured through this black and white medium. Curator: Indeed. Holbein was known for embedding profound symbolism. Consider Moses pointing—a prophetic gesture toward the coming Messiah, perhaps? Editor: And the offering laid out—lambs, a bull—clearly signifies sacrifice, but it also speaks to the economic and material reality of religious practice at the time. Curator: Right, these animals as currency and devotion. The starkness of the image allows us to reflect on what is truly being offered. Editor: It makes you think about the labor involved in producing these woodcuts, each line a deliberate act, and how this accessibility allowed for widespread dissemination of these religious ideas. Curator: The symbols and the stark image truly allow us to see the weight of what is unfolding. Editor: Yes, from material to meaning, this work offers so much to consider.