Charm of Birds: Illustration Six c. 20th century

Curator: Robert John Gibbings created this image, "Charm of Birds: Illustration Six," and it's held here at the Harvard Art Museums. The print shows two different kinds of trees. Editor: They are so stark! And small. The black ink against the pale paper makes me think about environmental precarity. Curator: Interesting. Trees carry a lot of weight in folklore, representing life, growth, and interconnectedness. Birds are also a symbol of freedom. Editor: I see them too as emblems of colonialism’s impact on natural landscapes. The reduction of these massive, complex life forms to these small, isolated images… it’s unsettling. Curator: Perhaps, but the careful detail in the woodcut, the texture given to each branch, could suggest a deep respect, even love, for nature. Editor: Maybe. But I still feel a sense of loss. Curator: Well, art often holds multiple truths. Editor: Indeed. A single image can contain so many stories and provoke such different readings.