Jesu Puritas Virginum, Jesu Lex Vera 1894

Curator: This is Charles-Marie Dulac's "Jesu Puritas Virginum, Jesu Lex Vera," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Dulac was born in 1865 and passed away in 1898. Editor: It's dreamy, almost faded. The sepia tones give a sense of stillness, like a memory viewed through golden light. Curator: Dulac's exploration of religious and mystical themes places him within a fascinating historical context, amidst the Symbolist movement’s revival of spiritual themes. Editor: The scene feels intimate despite its hazy execution. There's a solitary figure; it’s meditative, perhaps religious, but also vulnerable. Curator: Indeed, Dulac was part of a broader artistic and intellectual environment that questioned and reinterpreted the relationship between faith and modernity. Editor: The overall effect evokes a yearning for peace, a quiet conversation with the divine. I find it rather moving. Curator: An interesting interpretation of how fin-de-siècle anxieties manifested themselves in art that sought solace in spiritual symbolism. Editor: It certainly speaks volumes, even in its quiet way.