The Girl from Melos 1924

Curator: Jean Émile Laboureur’s “The Girl from Melos,” at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a seated woman, rendered in delicate lines. Editor: I see almost a sketch-like quality, a fragile intimacy hinted at by the spare lines and light shading. There's an unfinished sensibility about it that draws me in. Curator: Knowing Laboureur's fascination with the printmaking process, I see it as a testament to the artist’s hand, the etched lines themselves speaking to a history of labor and repetition. Editor: Perhaps, but it's also a study of a woman in repose, a moment of quiet contemplation. I wonder about her story. Curator: Well, it's worth considering the material constraints and production techniques shaping this intimate portrayal, because these details challenge what we consider high art, and force us to think about who makes art, and how? Editor: I suppose, but I am content with just letting the mood of it all wash over me.