Statue of a Roman Senator 1678

Curator: This is Etienne Baudet’s "Statue of a Roman Senator," created sometime between 1638 and 1711, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: He looks so somber, doesn't he? The pose, the weight of thought, all concentrated in that hand against his face. Curator: Baudet, an engraver, probably created this print based on existing sculptures or drawings, engaging with the material culture of antiquity through reproduction. Editor: The image clearly strives to evoke the virtues of Roman senatorial ideals: wisdom, duty, perhaps even stoicism. He's become an emblem of thoughtful leadership. Curator: Yes, but consider how the print itself—a reproducible object—democratizes that image. It moves it from the elite realm of marble sculpture to a wider audience. Editor: It does raise interesting questions about access and interpretation. Is this a true likeness, or a symbolic representation reshaped through different hands and eras? Curator: Precisely. The material process influences how the image is received and understood across time. Editor: I'm left pondering the enduring power of symbols and how they echo across generations. Curator: And I see how the act of replication changes the function and cultural value of an object.