Dead Christ on the Lap of His Mother at the Foot of the Cross c. 17th century

Editor: So, here we have "Dead Christ on the Lap of His Mother at the Foot of the Cross" by François de Poilly the Elder, currently housed in the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so heavy, doesn’t it? What strikes you most about it? Curator: It's the etching technique, I think. The stark lines give it a raw, almost visceral feel. Like grief etched onto the page, wouldn't you say? Almost as if the artist is inviting us to consider our own mortality by peering through this lens of loss. Editor: Definitely, a somber invitation. Curator: Indeed. And the ladder looming in the background! Such a symbolic echo of ascension, juxtaposed against the ultimate earthly stillness. Perhaps it's about the endless cycle of human existence, or not. What do you think?