The Waterfall c. 18th century

Curator: This is "The Waterfall" by Jean Moyreau, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite a large print, almost two feet wide. Editor: It's wonderfully dramatic! The light and shadow almost give it the feel of a stage set, and the people seem like players acting out an idyllic, perhaps mythological, scene. Curator: The people enjoying themselves at the base of the waterfall are interesting, right? Given the socio-political context of the time, one wonders about the social class represented. Editor: I like how Moyreau uses the etching to suggest the movement of the water and the density of the forest. It's like he's captured a whole ecosystem in monochrome. Curator: It's a pastoral fantasy, certainly, but perhaps one also rooted in specific power dynamics of land ownership and labor. Who gets to relax by this waterfall, and at whose expense? Editor: That's a crucial point, and one that adds layers of complexity to what initially seems like a simple, pretty picture. It gives you something to reflect on.