Figure, from an Athenian Lekythos in the British Museum c. 1876 - 1878

Curator: This is Charles Herbert's "Figure, from an Athenian Lekythos in the British Museum," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The drawing offers an intimate peek into ancient Greek artistry. Editor: It feels so delicate, almost ghostly. The colors are muted, and the figure has this serene, detached air. Like she's stepped out of a dream. Curator: The lekythos, a vessel often used for funerary rites, offers us a window into Athenian society's rituals surrounding death and remembrance. Herbert's work captures the figure's solemnity. Editor: I wonder about the woman herself. What role did she play? Is she a mourner, or perhaps a representation of the departed? I’m getting strong feelings of grief and quiet contemplation. Curator: I think it's essential to consider gender within this context. How were women's roles and emotions depicted in funerary art? The lekythos was, after all, used in spaces deeply connected to female agency and mourning. Editor: It makes me think about how we still process grief today, the rituals we cling to, and the enduring power of art to express the unspeakable. Curator: Absolutely. Herbert's drawing allows us to engage with this history, inviting a dialogue about loss, representation, and the enduring human experience.