Untitled (photograph of a drawing labeled "Jove hurling Vulcan out of heaven." (Quod 'Dons' hominesque volunt); verso: two views of Oxford, St. Cross Church and churchyard, Holywell; Magdalen Bridge) 1864 - 1871

Curator: This is an untitled photograph from the Harvard Art Museums, attributed to Iorwerth Grey Lloyd. It depicts a drawing, labeled "Jove hurling Vulcan out of heaven". Editor: My first impression is a sketch of power dynamics rendered in thin lines. The figure being hurled—Vulcan, as you mentioned—looks almost weightless despite the gravity of the situation. Curator: Absolutely. The drawing's inscription, "Quod 'Dons' hominesque volunt," adds another layer. It suggests that the desires of academics and men fuel this act of expulsion. This speaks volumes about societal hierarchies. Editor: And notice how the drawing itself is documented through photography, a mechanized form of reproduction. This raises questions about originality and the social life of images. It's not just the mythological scene, but the materials involved and their reproduction that tell the story. Curator: I agree. It is the combination of these elements that offer insight into the intersecting power structures of class, knowledge, and gender. Editor: A fascinating piece, indeed, where the historical and the contemporary intersect in unexpected ways. Curator: Precisely, an unexpected glimpse into the social forces at play during its making.