Jean Racine c. 17th century

Curator: Oh, the wig! It's mesmerizing. Like a stormy cloud perfectly framing a very serious face. Editor: Indeed! This is Gerard Edelinck's engraving of Jean Racine, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Edelinck, who was active in the late 17th century, captured the French dramatist with incredible detail. Curator: Detail is an understatement. You can practically count every curl! But what's truly fascinating is the expression—a blend of intelligence and perhaps a touch of melancholy? Editor: The engraver and his subject were powerful players in a highly codified cultural scene. Racine, as a tragedian, was incredibly influential—and Edelinck, as a portraitist, was instrumental in circulating images of those in power. Curator: It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What stories are hidden behind those eyes, beneath that elaborate wig? Editor: More than we can imagine. The politics of image-making were as intricate as the lace on his cuffs. Curator: Well, I'm off to write a tragedy with more hair. Editor: And I, to consider the cultural implications of the Sun King's court.