The Flat Tire 1926

Editor: Jean Émile Laboureur's "The Flat Tire," an etching at the Harvard Art Museums, has a quiet, almost melancholic feel. What symbols do you see at play here? Curator: The flat tire itself speaks to interruption, a disruption in the expected journey. Note how the figures are arranged, almost staged – are they active participants or simply observing a shared misfortune? Editor: That's interesting. It feels like a shared moment of stillness, enforced by circumstance. Curator: Precisely. The village in the background, with its steeple, points to a community, a shared history. But are they connected, or merely passing through? Editor: I hadn't considered that. This etching holds more narrative depth than I initially thought. Curator: Indeed, the tire is not just a malfunction. It becomes a symbol of stalled progress, demanding reflection. I appreciate that insight.