Francesco Primaticcio c. 17th century

Curator: This engraving, "Francesco Primaticcio," is by Esme de Boulonois and resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The intensity in his eyes is striking. He looks wise, maybe a bit severe? Curator: Indeed. Primaticcio was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, and sculptor, central to the Fontainebleau School. Consider how Boulonois, as a woman artist, might have approached representing such an influential male figure. Editor: That’s fascinating. The lines seem to emphasize his age and experience. The furrowed brow, the texture of his beard… it's almost a study in masculinity and power, viewed through what we might call a feminist lens. Curator: The composition and the details of his garments speak to his status, situating him within the artistic and political structures of his time. Editor: I’m left wondering about the dialogue between artist and subject. What was Boulonois trying to say about the male gaze, about artistic authority? Curator: A vital question, framing our understanding of the image within broader societal narratives. Editor: It makes you rethink portraiture itself, doesn’t it?