Detail of St. Sauveur, Caen 1848

Curator: This is John Ruskin's drawing titled "Detail of St. Sauveur, Caen," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks like a ghost, a faded memory etched in pencil. Is it meant to be unfinished? Curator: Ruskin was fascinated by Gothic architecture, seeing it as an expression of moral and spiritual values. His drawings were studies, attempts to truly see and understand the forms. The ornate details could represent, symbolically, complex theological concerns. Editor: I see it as a metaphor for how time wears down even the most solid beliefs, leaving only the faintest traces. The drawing itself feels delicate, as though it might crumble if I breathed on it. I find the skeletal quality really beautiful. Curator: The drawing echoes the artist's own evolving views on faith and the built environment. It invites contemplation on the enduring power of symbols. Editor: It makes me want to touch the stones, to run my fingers over the carvings and feel the weight of history. Thanks for making me see it differently.