Pietà c. 17th century

Curator: This sketch, titled "Pietà," is attributed to the School of Anthony van Dyck and resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's rendered in pen and brown ink with gray wash on paper. Editor: It's incredibly raw, isn't it? The stark lines and somber wash really underscore the grief and vulnerability depicted. Curator: Absolutely. Think about the socio-political context. Religious iconography often served as propaganda. This image, devoid of overt grandeur, presents a different narrative, one focused on human suffering. The Virgin Mary, the embodiment of maternal loss, becomes a potent symbol of resistance against oppressive structures. Editor: The material handling really drives that home. The roughness of the sketch, the visible labor in each stroke—it avoids any sense of idealized perfection. It connects with the viewer on a more visceral level through its immediacy. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on the raw emotionality, the artist challenges traditional power dynamics inherent in religious art. It’s an invitation to empathize, to question, and perhaps, to act. Editor: It’s a potent reminder that even the most familiar narratives can be powerfully reinterpreted through a focus on material and process. Curator: Yes, a testament to art's ability to challenge the status quo, even within established frameworks.