Shipwreck c. 18th century

Curator: This etching is titled "Shipwreck" by Jean Rigaud. The work resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Its size? A modest 17 by 26.5 centimeters. Editor: A shipwreck indeed! A truly terrible scene. Look at that lightning cutting through the sky—the terror must have been palpable. Curator: Rigaud perfectly captures the chaos, doesn't he? Notice the way the lines create the illusion of churning water. The labor involved in creating this intricate scene. It may have been intended as a commodity for wealthy consumers to project fantasies of adventure. Editor: Yes, the human struggle against nature, the sea as both giver and taker of life. There's a raw, vulnerable beauty here. It makes you think, doesn't it? About resilience, about fate... Curator: It is incredible, isn't it? This small print has taught me a great deal about labor and about the cultural values of Rigaud's time. Editor: And for me, it's a little reminder to embrace the wild storms of life, the shipwrecks, because even in the wreckage, there's something powerful to be found.