Aurora with Apollo and the Hours 17th-18th century

Curator: This is Robert van Auden-Aerd's "Aurora with Apollo and the Hours," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm struck by the medium; the stark contrasts achieved with line engraving give it a sense of drama and movement. Editor: It's a very Baroque tableau, isn't it? All the figures seem to be in dynamic motion. It speaks to a worldview where celestial order and earthly time are intertwined, a kind of divine feminine leading us forward. Curator: Right, I'm interested in how the artist uses the lines to create a sense of depth and texture. Look at the way the clouds are rendered. It’s about the materiality of the line itself, a testament to skilled labor and printmaking techniques. Editor: Yes, and the engraving also serves to solidify cultural ideals. The bodies, the draping, the chariot—all reinforce a hierarchy of power where gods and goddesses dictate the rhythms of existence. It makes me think about gendered labor and divine right. Curator: It's a fascinating interplay between the physical act of creation and the symbolic weight it carries. Editor: Precisely, it's a potent reminder of how intertwined art is with its historical and social conditions.