The Morning 1769

Curator: This is François Vivares' "The Morning," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. There's no specific date listed. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is its pastoral mood—a serene depiction that's quite picturesque. Curator: Indeed. Notice the fine lines achieved through etching and engraving. The labor involved in creating such detail would have been significant, intended for mass consumption, not just display. Editor: Right, and the figures in the foreground reading…it's like claiming intellectual space within a landscape steeped in colonial history. We should question whose gaze is being centered here. Curator: An important point. Ultimately, both the process and the depiction speak to the intersection of labor and the construction of idealized landscapes. Editor: Yes, it compels us to unpack the narratives being woven, beyond just what seems like a peaceful scene.