Sisteron c. 20th century

Curator: Right, let's have a look at "Sisteron," a print by Pierre Louis Moreau, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? It's like a dream—a city clinging to the side of a mountain, fading into memory. Curator: Moreau captures something fundamental about our relationship with places like this. The fortress perches atop, a symbol of protection, perhaps. Editor: Yes, and the town itself spills down, a visual metaphor for life flowing from this high place. Those lines...they seem to carve the very stone. It's a powerful image. Curator: Etching allows for those incredibly fine lines, mimicking the texture of rock and the density of buildings. The contrast between the rough mountain and ordered architecture is striking. Editor: It almost feels like a warning about the precarious nature of civilization itself—a tiny collection of structures against the vast indifference of nature. Curator: Well, yes, or perhaps a testament to human resilience; finding beauty and order even on the steepest slopes. Editor: Perhaps both, which is why it lingers, I think. A mirror to our fears and our hopes.