Penitent Magdalene; verso: Reclining Female Nude c. 1765

Curator: This is Jean-Baptiste Greuze’s drawing, "Penitent Magdalene; verso: Reclining Female Nude," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, the sorrow just radiates from the loose strokes depicting her bowed head. It's a whisper of a drawing, really, yet it screams grief. Curator: Absolutely. Greuze was known for his sentimental scenes. Magdalene was a frequent subject, embodying repentance but also...a palatable form of female suffering for the male gaze. Editor: It's true. There's a theatricality even in this rough sketch. The way she cradles what appears to be a skull…it's as much performance as piety, isn't it? Curator: Perhaps. But I also see an artist grappling with how to represent profound emotion, using Magdalene as a vehicle. Editor: Either way, Greuze certainly leaves us contemplating the complexities of portraying emotion and virtue. Curator: Indeed. It’s a drawing that continues to resonate with layers of historical and artistic meaning.