Between Heaven and Earth

Old-time engravings have always fascinated me, and this one is magical in its medieval imagery. A traveler with a staff in his left hand has pierced the barrier at the joining of the Earth and the heavens. The flat earth is contained in a bubble or shell which also holds the stars, the moon, and the sun, all of which are seen together as connected to the terrestrial plain, with its plants and trees, mountains and rivers and cities.

The traveler's head and right hand are outside the bubble, reaching toward curved bands of celestial wonders in which clouds mingle with spheres and spoked wheels, and what looks like jagged stalagmites. Is he falling through to the heavens, and holding his hand out to prevent his complete exit from the earthly bubble, or is he striving to reach Paradise without having to undergo the pain of death?

One wonders what the artist's intentions were. But whatever the answer, this beautiful and enigmatic engraving compels our interest.