Noah Leaving the Ark c. 17th century

Curator: This is Charles Macé's engraving, "Noah Leaving the Ark," held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. The textures created by the hatching are fascinating. Editor: It’s such a tightly packed image, almost claustrophobic despite depicting liberation and new beginnings. The ark looms, and the animals spill out, a menagerie of the saved. What does the means of production suggest to you? Curator: Well, as a print, it speaks to the dissemination of biblical narratives and their visual interpretations in a time before mass media. Prints allowed for the widespread distribution of imagery. Editor: Exactly, and consider the material constraints of engraving; the precision needed. The printmaking process itself becomes a testament to faith, mimicking the labor involved in the ark's construction. Curator: I agree; the act of creation mirroring the biblical story is compelling. I’m struck by the symbolic weight. Editor: The animals themselves become commodities, preserved and presented for a purpose. They are both survivors and resources. A potent depiction of labor. Curator: A unique blend of religious narrative and material existence, captured through this precise technique. Editor: Indeed, a powerful rendering of both divine intervention and the earthly consequences of survival.