The Days of Creation: The First Day 1870 - 1876

Curator: Standing before us is Edward Burne-Jones' "The Days of Creation: The First Day," part of a larger series, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's stunning, isn't it? A melancholic angel cradling this dark orb. The textures—feathery wings, smooth sphere—it’s so tactile. Curator: He built these ethereal scenes with layers of watercolor and gouache, almost like building a cathedral with light. I wonder, what kind of labor went into sourcing the materials for those pigments? Editor: I see this poignant figure suspended between worlds. It's as if Burne-Jones is inviting us to witness the birth of the cosmos through a lens of serene contemplation. Curator: A beautiful sentiment. And, well, considering the cost of these paints, it’s a kind of creation that definitely came from privilege. Editor: Exactly! Even art's most spiritual moments have very material roots. Curator: It's true, isn't it? A painting like this reminds us that art, in all its forms, is a product of both human hands and circumstance.