Side Box at the Opera 1785

Curator: There's such a gossipy energy emanating from this piece. It's like a still from a movie about 18th-century London high society. Editor: Exactly. This is Thomas Rowlandson's "Side Box at the Opera," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's a pen and ink wash drawing. Curator: Pen and ink, really? The dynamism feels so effortless, capturing these folks observing and judging. I love how he's rendered the faces – the jowly man with the wig, the woman with the massive hat. Editor: Rowlandson was a master of social satire. The opera, then as now, was a place to see and be seen. He uses the setting to lampoon the aristocracy, their vanity, and their boredom. The drawing highlights how class and social performance were intertwined. Curator: It's a reminder that art is about so much more than pretty pictures; sometimes, it's about holding a mirror up to society, warts and all. Editor: Indeed. And in this case, with a wink and a nudge. The opera serves as a stage for both performance and observation, blurring the lines between art and life.