The Young Child c. 16th century

Curator: This is Hans Holbein the Younger's "The Young Child," a woodcut print housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The immediate impression is one of stark horror! Editor: Indeed. The skeletal figure of Death looms large, even playfully engaging with the titular child; the iconography is a chilling memento mori. The hourglass he’s holding makes it clearer. Curator: Note how Holbein employs cross-hatching to model the figures and create depth despite the two-dimensional surface. The stark contrast amplifies the drama. Editor: The figures are stock characters of the period. Death is not just mortality, but divine judgement, the child is innocence, the old woman is wisdom, and the man... well, he represents humanity. Curator: Certainly, the symbolic weight is evident. But consider the formal arrangement—the figures are clustered, creating a dense, almost claustrophobic composition. Editor: A fine balance between graphic impact and layered meanings. Holbein was a master of conveying potent cultural symbols and stark realities within a small frame. Curator: A truly haunting reminder of life's brevity. Editor: Each character, rendered with deft strokes, pulls at the threads of memory and mortality.