Harbor c. 17th century

Curator: Pierre Puget, born in 1620, captured a stunning harbor scene in this drawing held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It certainly has an evocative, almost dreamlike quality, doesn't it? The sepia tones lend a real sense of antiquity. Curator: Puget was deeply engaged in the practicalities of shipbuilding and port construction; his designs influenced naval architecture. It appears he considered the labor involved. Editor: The composition is fascinating. The juxtaposition of classical architecture with the bustling ships creates a compelling tension between order and dynamism. That obelisk, its hieroglyphs barely visible, adds to the mystery. Curator: Absolutely. Puget worked between the demands of powerful patrons and the realities of manual labor, which affected the distribution and reception of art. Editor: The scale is something else, too. Although modest in size, it conjures an image of an immense harbor teeming with trade and human activity. Curator: Thinking about the material conditions behind art production, and the labor required, adds another layer. Editor: It’s a wonderful study in contrasts – ancient and modern, land and sea, stasis and movement. Curator: Indeed. Puget's work reminds us of the social and material processes embedded in every work of art.