The Lamentation over the Dead Christ c. 1680

Editor: This is Luca Giordano's "The Lamentation over the Dead Christ," housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's an oil painting, and I’m struck by how tactile Christ's body appears. What’s your take on the work? Curator: The materiality speaks volumes. Oil paint, during Giordano's time, was becoming a tool for expressing wealth and power. Consider the pigments themselves – were they locally sourced, or acquired through trade networks? How does that inform our understanding of the patronage and the intended audience? Editor: That's a good question, I never thought about the pigments themselves! Curator: And what about the canvas? The scale suggests a deliberate choice, perhaps reflecting the social status of the commissioner. Think about the labor involved in preparing the canvas, mixing the paints… Editor: It really makes you think about what went into the work beyond just the artistic expression. Curator: Precisely. It’s about examining art as a product of its time, shaped by materials, labor, and social forces.