Sancho judges in the Island of Barataria 1781

Curator: This is Augustin de Saint-Aubin's "Sancho judges in the Island of Barataria," held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The stark black and white etching immediately gives a sense of drama, a flurry of activity frozen in ink. What's happening here? Curator: It depicts a scene from Cervantes' Don Quixote. We see Sancho Panza, the appointed governor, settling a dispute, likely highlighting the absurdity of authority. The printmaking process, readily reproducible, democratized access to such narratives. Editor: The symbolism is striking. Sancho enthroned, surrounded by supplicants, echoes classical imagery of justice, yet undercut by the obviously flustered subjects. It suggests the weight of responsibility, even in a farcical scenario. Curator: Consider the labour involved in creating the plate, the deliberate strokes shaping the narrative for a burgeoning print market. Editor: Indeed. The image leaves us pondering the eternal dance between idealism and reality, power and perception. Curator: A small print, but offering a wealth of insight into both craft and context.