Two Heads in Profile, Study for "Cupid Finding Psyche Asleep" c. 1875

Curator: This is Edward Burne-Jones's drawing, "Two Heads in Profile, Study for 'Cupid Finding Psyche Asleep'," part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's beautiful, so delicate. The tilted heads create such a pensive, almost melancholic mood. Curator: Indeed. Burne-Jones's engagement with classical myth often reflects the anxieties of his Victorian context, anxieties around beauty, mortality, and the feminine ideal. Editor: The downward gaze is powerful. It mirrors the iconography of sorrow and introspection found in much Renaissance art. The averted eyes suggest a hidden story. Curator: And consider the Pre-Raphaelite movement's investment in representing female subjects. This drawing reveals the complex social construction of female beauty and its relationship to mythology. Editor: I am struck by how the artist makes use of light and shadow to show not just a figure but to hint at their inner life, what they represent, not just what they are. Curator: It really highlights the influence of earlier Italian masters and speaks volumes about the Victorian fascination with idealized beauty and myth. Editor: This drawing invites us to ponder the enduring power of symbols and their ability to tap into collective emotions.