Mother Brigide 18th-19th century

Editor: Here we have Johann Gotthard Müller’s print, "Mother Brigide," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The detail in her face is incredible, yet there's a certain sadness that emanates from it. What strikes you most when you look at this piece? Curator: The raw honesty, the wrinkles etched by time and experience – Müller doesn't shy away from depicting the unvarnished reality of aging. It's almost brutal in its intimacy, isn't it? I imagine her stories, her hardships... Were these details considered beautiful at the time, do you think? Editor: I'm not sure! I suppose beauty standards have changed so much. It makes me wonder what Mother Brigide's story actually was. Curator: Exactly! It's like a visual poem, leaving room for the viewer to fill in the blanks, to write their own narrative. Now I'm imagining an entire novel about her!