An unnamed, observant museum-goer viewing paintings in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. Conversational and thoughtful, he studies how historical artworks depict the human habit of ignoring suffering. He notes the reality of mundane activities continuing unaffected during moments of tragedy or miracles.

A 16th-century Flemish artist whose artwork is displayed in the Brussels museum. He embeds extraordinary events, such as miracles and tragedies, within the margins of busy village scenes. His paintings require viewers to actively search for momentous occurrences hidden behind mundane daily life.

A mythic figure depicted in a painting where he falls from the sky after his wax wings melt. The artwork shows only his white legs disappearing into the green water. His fatal plunge fails to attract the attention of the surrounding laborers or passing ships.

A laborer who occupies the prominent foreground of a classic painting. He focuses entirely on plowing the earth and completing his daily work. Though he might hear the splash of a falling boy, he treats it as unimportant and refuses to stop his task.

A pregnant woman depicted in *The Census at Bethlehem*. She stands among a busy Brabant village crowd waiting to pay taxes. The surrounding children and townspeople completely overlook her spiritual significance.

Accompanies his pregnant partner to a census in a 16th-century Netherlands setting. Like her, he is lost in the bustling crowd of livestock and tax collectors. The village goes about its mundane business without acknowledging his presence.