Venetian Red 

Curator: Here we have "Venetian Red," produced by F. Weber & Company, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It’s a pigment, seemingly untouched, resting in its original glass jar. Editor: The starkness is striking. The color chart and the pigment jar...it's all very clinical, yet the red hints at something warmer, perhaps blood or terracotta. Curator: Absolutely. Venetian Red, historically, was prized. It became synonymous with luxury and power. The placement of this pigment in art history and in the larger context of 19th-century art production is very interesting. Editor: The texture, too. The contrast between the glass smoothness and the pigment's granular quality... the label—its age and placement—all these material details add layers of meaning. Curator: Precisely. Pigments like this shaped art history. Editor: Indeed, it’s a testament to the power of pure color.