Israelites Gathering Manna 16th-17th century

Editor: This is Johann Sadeler I’s "Israelites Gathering Manna." I'm struck by how much human labor is depicted in acquiring this sustenance. What stands out to you in this print? Curator: I see a fascinating intersection of material necessity and divine intervention. Consider the labor involved: the collection, the preparation. The manna becomes not just a miracle, but a commodity shaped by human hands. The artist invites us to contemplate the socio-economic implications of reliance on a resource, even a divinely provided one. What does it mean to be sustained by something outside of traditional means of production? Editor: So, beyond the religious narrative, it's also about how resources shape society? That's a new perspective for me. Curator: Precisely! And how the means of acquiring those resources influence social structures and daily life. It pushes us to look at the material conditions that underpin even the most miraculous events.