Angel with the Scourge c. 1667 - 1668

Editor: Here we have Gian Lorenzo Bernini's "Angel with the Scourge," currently at the Harvard Art Museums. I’m struck by how raw the terracotta looks, almost like unfired clay. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Considering Bernini’s masterful manipulation of marble, this terracotta model reveals a different side. How does the materiality inform our understanding of the final work it was intended for? Does the inherent labor, in both terracotta and marble, influence your interpretation? Editor: That’s a fantastic question. I never really thought about the angel in terms of the labor and production it took to create it. Thanks!