A Man Playing the Pipes, and a Woman c. 18th century

Curator: Here we have Pietro Antonio Novelli’s "A Man Playing the Pipes, and a Woman," a drawing from the late 18th century, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the materiality—it’s a drawing, so probably chalk or graphite, but the hatching is so intense. The effect is almost sculptural. Curator: The figures evoke a sense of pastoral longing, don’t they? The pipes themselves are an ancient symbol, linking music, nature, and the divine. Editor: Yes, but consider the labor involved in producing the paper and ink, and the social context of idealized leisure. It begs the question: who were these images for, and who was excluded from this idyllic scene? Curator: A necessary reminder that even seemingly timeless images are steeped in the politics of their time. Editor: Indeed. And now I'm left pondering the weight of all that materiality.