Pilgrim Reindeer in Pisa, 1348 a free multimedia novel by Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison

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 Part II. The Hansa Lands and France. 24. Lübeck [October 15, 1347]

My goal in this and the following chapter was to underscore some of the basic differences in livelihood and economy that are coming into play as Bávlos moves from the far north of Europe into its more populous center. I wanted the reader to think about the ways in which different societies view work and how that affects the production of art in particular. Bávlos has always made art as a communication with the sacred. Now, as he moves southward, that basic premise of religious art will become melded—sometimes quite imperfectly—with the pursuit of a professional livelihood. Making art for sale is different than making it solely as a communication with the divine. That difference will be explored in various ways in coming chapters right to the very end of the novel.