The Fall of Troy and the Escape of Aeneas c. 1545

Editor: This is Giorgio Ghisi’s "The Fall of Troy and the Escape of Aeneas," a print from the 16th century, housed at Harvard Art Museums. The scene is chaotic, filled with figures in distress. What social commentaries do you see embedded in this piece? Curator: I see a narrative deeply intertwined with themes of displacement, resilience, and patriarchal structures. Aeneas's escape, carrying his father and son, speaks to the burden of legacy and the selective preservation of power through male lineage, while the women left behind are erased. Editor: So, the focus on Aeneas almost serves to overshadow the experiences of others during the fall? Curator: Precisely. The print highlights the 'heroic' narrative while sidelining the experiences of those most vulnerable during conflict, pointing to a historic pattern of patriarchal storytelling. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thanks for helping me see the power dynamics at play. Curator: It's important to analyze whose stories are told and whose are silenced, even in classical narratives.