Descent from the Cross 1790

Curator: Francesco Novelli’s "Descent from the Cross" is a poignant rendering, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. You are immediately met with a dramatic scene rendered in stark blacks and whites. What strikes you first about it? Editor: The sheer labor involved in creating such intense detail. I see the cross-hatching, the density of lines—it speaks to the hours of work needed to produce this print. Curator: Exactly, and the result is this incredibly moving depiction. Novelli captures the raw grief, the heavy weight of the body being lowered. There's a kind of sacred intimacy in that act, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely, and even the texture of the shroud... it's all conveyed through the intricate work of the engraver. The social context of printmaking—its accessibility as a medium—adds another layer. Curator: Indeed, it becomes a democratized mourning. This wasn't just for the elite; it was for anyone who could access the print. It gives the work a wider resonance, I believe. Editor: I agree. Thinking about the material conditions of its creation really underscores the image's power for me. The print itself becomes a tool for shared grief and reflection. Curator: Well said. It’s an experience, really—a tactile one at that. Editor: That's right. It's a powerful testament to the intersection of skill, material, and human emotion.