Pastoral Couple Taking Refuge from a Storm c. 17th century

Curator: This is Moyses van Uyttenbroeck's "Pastoral Couple Taking Refuge from a Storm", a small etching housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Intimate, but turbulent. The figures huddle together, seemingly seeking solace against an ominous weather pattern. Curator: Indeed. Notice the stark contrasts and delicate cross-hatching which create a dramatic sense of light and shadow. Uyttenbroeck masterfully renders the raw power of nature and the vulnerability of the human form. Editor: Yet, beyond the formal qualities, there is a charged dialogue between nature's unpredictable forces and humankind's precarious position. The storm, in this context, also feels like a symbol of social and political upheaval. Curator: That’s one interpretation, certainly. However, it's important to consider the idealized pastoral tradition in art history, and how Uyttenbroeck is playing with conventions of genre. Editor: Conventions that often sidelined marginalized voices, no? This storm, for me, is also a visual representation of the storms of life, particularly for those historically disenfranchised. Curator: An interesting reading. Editor: Art allows it.