Jacob Returning to his Father c. 17th century

Curator: Here we have Charles Macé's "Jacob Returning to his Father," a plate held at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts a biblical scene. Editor: It's quite striking! The frenetic energy of the figures, the detailed rendering of the animals... I’m drawn to the artist’s skill in capturing movement and texture. Curator: Macé’s print exemplifies the visual language prevalent in disseminating religious narratives. This scene represents a pivotal moment of reconciliation and inheritance. Editor: Absolutely. And the materiality of the printmaking process itself—the labor, the deliberate etching—mirrors the toil and purpose inherent in Jacob's return. Consider how prints facilitated access to these stories. Curator: Indeed. Prints democratized religious art, making it accessible beyond the elite circles. Editor: Makes you think about the broader socio-economic context: the rise of a print market and its impact on visual culture. A fascinating piece of material and cultural history. Curator: It certainly offers a lens through which we can examine the intersection of art, religion, and societal values. Editor: Exactly! It invites us to think about how stories are made, disseminated, and consumed.