High Priest Driving Saint Joachim from the Temple c. 19th century

Curator: This engraving is titled "High Priest Driving Saint Joachim from the Temple" by Conte Carlo Lasinio, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's a distinct separation, a stark juxtaposition, between the architectural precision on the left and the raw, almost ethereal landscape on the right. Curator: Indeed. The artist uses line and form to create a visual dichotomy. Note the solid vertical lines that divide the space. It's almost a binary opposition presented formally. Editor: And those lines, those dividing structures—they speak to the materials used to create societal and religious structures, the very things that oppress Joachim! Curator: The composition certainly directs our eye, forcing us to consider how these different environments interact. Editor: It makes me think of the labor and the exploitation that goes into constructing those rigid societal lines. Curator: It’s a piece that reveals its complexity through careful examination of its formal elements. Editor: Yes, and a piece that invites us to consider the materials and power structures behind every perceived divide.