Counterpoint c. 20th century

Curator: This striking print, titled Counterpoint, is by Gertrude Quastler and currently resides in the Harvard Art Museums collection. My first thought when viewing it is that it evokes a sense of quiet ceremony. What do you see? Editor: Well, they remind me of solemn figures standing in silent observation, perhaps at a vigil. The high contrast between the black figures and the textured background certainly adds to that feeling. Curator: The artist's bold use of linework and the slightly off-kilter perspective create a sense of unease, almost as if these figures exist just outside our normal field of vision. Editor: Indeed. Thinking about the title, Counterpoint, it almost feels like these figures are in opposition to the world around them, observing it perhaps with a critical distance. Curator: It is a beautiful balance. One of the things that I keep thinking about is the process of creating the print. It is so wonderfully immediate. Editor: The image is thought-provoking. I appreciate how it prompts us to consider the role of the observer and the observed. Curator: Yes. These are spectral figures—a powerful statement on presence and absence.