The Lottery of Jupiter 1719

Curator: This is a delicate engraving called "The Lottery of Jupiter," a piece by an anonymous artist currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels almost like a dream, doesn't it? All those figures swirling in the clouds, with Jupiter reigning above, like a whimsical puppet master. Curator: Exactly! It is a miniature world teeming with mythological figures, all rendered with incredible detail given its size. What intrigues me is the urn at the center—presumably holding the fates. Editor: I wonder about the labor involved in creating such fine lines. The skill required to manipulate the metal, to coax such ephemeral figures from it...and for what purpose? Curator: Perhaps to remind us that even the gods are subject to chance, that destiny is a lottery in itself. Editor: A lottery indeed. It's a thought that makes the meticulous work seem a bit more absurd, or maybe, even more poignant.