Regulus 1772

Editor: This is Antoine de Marcenay de Ghuy's "Regulus," a print at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels quite dramatic, with all these figures clustered together. What's your interpretation of this work? Curator: It's a powerful depiction of a Roman general choosing duty over family. Consider the patriarchal ideals at play, and the expectations placed upon men in power. How does this image serve to uphold or challenge those norms, particularly in the context of 18th-century France? Editor: So, it's about more than just a historical scene; it's reflecting the values of its own time? Curator: Precisely. It's an engagement with the Roman past that speaks directly to contemporary social structures and gender roles. Editor: I never thought about it that way; that art is speaking to the now. Curator: The past always speaks to the present, if we’re willing to listen.