Stele of Aristion, after Aristokles 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Joseph Smith's "Stele of Aristion, after Aristokles," currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The verticality and the worn appearance give it a solemn, almost mournful quality. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: It whispers of echoes. Smith re-imagines Aristokles, almost as a medium channeling the past. Notice how the muted palette and textured surface invite a sense of antiquity, blurring the lines between copy and creation. Is it reverence, or reinvention, do you think? Editor: Perhaps a bit of both? I'm now seeing it as more of a conversation across time. Thanks for the insight! Curator: My pleasure. I find these dialogues across centuries strangely comforting, don’t you?