South Door of Baptistery of Florence c. 19th century

Curator: Here we have Giovanni Paolo Lasinio's rendering of the South Door of the Baptistery of Florence, held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? It feels...calculated. Every square, every figure, locked in its designated spot. It's as if narrative itself is being presented in a meticulously organized ledger. Curator: Indeed, the grid structure emphasizes a logical, almost mathematical, approach to representing biblical scenes. Note the symmetry, the repetition of forms. Editor: It's beautiful, don't get me wrong! But where's the chaos, the divine madness you'd expect when depicting these stories? It's like looking at architecture, not art. Curator: Perhaps Lasinio sought to underscore the theological order inherent in the narratives, using form to reflect divine structure. Editor: Maybe. Or maybe someone just really liked straight lines and neat boxes! Either way, it makes you consider how we frame stories, literally and figuratively.