Holy Family c. 18th century

Curator: This is Barthholomäus Ignaz Weiss's "Holy Family," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It presents a classic scene, but the stark linework gives it a raw energy. Editor: Yes, there's a certain immediacy to the marks, like the artist was driven by the materiality of the etching process itself. It feels less about idealized beauty and more about the labor involved. Curator: Absolutely. Weiss, working without firm patronage perhaps, uses the printmaking medium to disseminate religious imagery beyond elite circles. The relative accessibility is key. Editor: And consider the lines themselves. Not delicate or refined, but almost aggressively present, revealing the hand and effort behind the image-making. Curator: It democratizes the sacred, placing the holy family in a relatable, almost domestic setting. Weiss collapses the distance between viewer and subject. Editor: I think focusing on that level of production really opens up new ways of understanding religious imagery. Curator: Indeed, it shifts our perspective from the divine to the human element. Editor: A welcome perspective, I'd say.