Saint Peter c. 1540

Curator: Lucas Cranach the Younger created this intaglio print of Saint Peter, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's striking how the artist has rendered the saint in such a domestic setting. The bare feet especially ground him, so to speak. Curator: The keys are there, of course, but the symbols are recontextualized. The grid formed by the window panes, the geometric floor tiles... the artist is employing a system to suggest order. Editor: A system rooted in the patriarchal structures of the church, perhaps? Who dictates the order, and who is excluded? It's hard not to read the image through the lens of power and privilege. Curator: It's valid to consider the social implications, but equally important to note how Cranach draws on established visual motifs, such as Saint Peter’s keys, to create an immediately recognizable representation. Editor: Certainly, but the choices made—the setting, the composition—speak volumes about the artist's own positioning within the religious and social landscape. Curator: Perhaps it’s about finding personal meaning within institutional structures. Editor: Maybe. Either way, it makes one consider the visual vocabulary we use to frame our narratives.