Frontispiece 1858

Editor: This is Thomas Goff Lupton's "Frontispiece," a print held at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels like an intricate stage setting, maybe for a play about travel? What do you see in it? Curator: I see a negotiation between representation and power. The "Frontispiece," traditionally marking the beginning of a book, here seems to question the authority of narrative itself. The architectural fragments, the disarray – is this a commentary on the crumbling structures of empire and the stories we tell about them? Editor: That's interesting. So, the lack of a clear, singular image is a deliberate choice? Curator: Precisely. It disrupts a linear, Eurocentric gaze. The scene's fragmentation suggests a deconstruction of dominant narratives, inviting us to question whose stories are being told, and how. What do you think about that? Editor: I had not considered the intentional disruption of traditional narrative. It's as if the artist is inviting us to create our own story. Curator: Exactly! It makes me wonder about the role of art in challenging colonial perspectives. Thank you for pointing out the theatrical quality; that adds another layer.