College Louis le Grand 1871

Curator: This is Henri Alexandre Saffrey’s "College Louis le Grand," a print held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such a somber feel, doesn't it? The density of the buildings and the stark contrasts create a heavy atmosphere. Curator: The work captures the Louis le Grand college. Institutions like this embody power structures. Who is admitted? Who is excluded? How does the architecture reinforce those dynamics? Editor: The architectural details, the heavy use of lines and shadow – it evokes permanence, but also perhaps confinement, wouldn't you say? It’s a symbol of established knowledge. Curator: Yes, that echoes how institutions both preserve and constrict ideas of nationhood and class. Saffrey invites us to consider this. Editor: Indeed. It’s a powerful reminder of the weight of history in shaping our present.