Classical Subject (Lucretia's Dead Body is Carried by her Husband, Lead by her Mourning Father) 1770s

Editor: Here we have "Classical Subject (Lucretia's Dead Body is Carried by her Husband, Lead by her Mourning Father)," a drawing in ink by John Hamilton Mortimer, from the 1770s, currently at the Met. It's… well, it's certainly dramatic! The energy is almost frantic. I'm struck by the contrast between the, uh, energetic lines and the subject matter of death. What stands out to you? Curator: You know, that frantic energy, that's what grabs me too. It’s like a controlled explosion of grief and action captured with furious strokes. The ink lines, almost violently hatching the scene, really bring the high drama of Lucretia’s story alive – or rather, underscore its tragedy. What a choice to render it as an exercise in feeling rather than detail. It feels unfinished, which emphasizes her story more. The viewer fills in the blanks themselves with their own understanding of violence against women. Do you think Mortimer romanticizes the moment, or indicts it? Editor: Indicts it? That’s an interesting way to put it. I suppose the raw style stops it from feeling too idealized. It feels like he’s trying to capture the chaotic reality of the moment, but through a classical lens, right? I almost feel like a bystander at the scene myself. Curator: Exactly! Mortimer makes us witnesses to something incredibly vulnerable. Think about the figures—the rigid father, the broken husband. Are they heroes, or just… broken people in an impossible situation? I see a statement about masculinity here, maybe unintentionally. The drawing almost mocks this idea that men need to protect female purity, perhaps because he cannot see a route in society outside this model. What does being honorable even MEAN when everyone's wrecked with shame and grief? What do you take away from it? Editor: That's given me so much to think about, particularly that final question. It's such a different way of looking at this. I just thought of the drawing as just histrionic before. Thank you! Curator: Likewise! The story is in how it makes *you* feel, right? And now we’re both feeling something different. Excellent!