Bronze Statue of a Genie 1875

Editor: So this is Félix Hilaire Buhot's "Bronze Statue of a Genie," housed here at Harvard Art Museums. I find its slightly grotesque features oddly captivating. What strikes you about it? Curator: Given Buhot's interest in printmaking and his position outside the traditional salon system, how does this image reflect a broader democratization of art and taste in late 19th century France? Does this piece challenge established artistic hierarchies? Editor: I suppose it does, offering a more accessible and perhaps subversive image than what was typically celebrated. Curator: Precisely. And it reminds us that art's power lies not just in beauty, but in its capacity to provoke and question societal norms. Editor: I hadn't thought of it in those terms before. Thanks!