Head of the Apollo Belvedere, after antiquity 1779 - 1784

Curator: This is Nathaniel Marchant's "Head of the Apollo Belvedere, after antiquity," held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's incredibly small, only about an inch tall. Editor: It feels like a whisper, a pale echo. I see a ghost of a face, barely there. Curator: The piece's strength lies in its material and the precise rendering of classical forms on such a minute scale. Note the refined lines defining Apollo's hair. Editor: Yes, there's a delicacy, but I am drawn to the milky, almost ethereal quality of the surface. It’s as if it is emerging from a dream. Curator: The whiteness emphasizes its connection to the idealized forms of antiquity. It also speaks to the 18th-century obsession with Neoclassicism. Editor: Well, it makes me think about beauty and how fleeting it is. This is a precious little artifact! Curator: Indeed, it's a powerful study in miniature. Editor: A miniature that leaves a big impression, somehow.