S. S. Virgo Sixtina c. 19th century

Curator: This is Moritz Steinla's "S.S. Virgo Sixtina," a print held here in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It strikes me immediately as quite ethereal; the figures seem to float against a light-filled background, though the tones are somber. Curator: Considering the socio-political context of the time, prints like these made iconic religious images accessible to a wider public, reinforcing dominant narratives around piety and maternal virtue. Editor: And the gazes – the Virgin, the child, the figures on either side – create a complex web of reverence and perhaps even a little melancholy. The cherubs at the bottom add an almost unsettling element. Curator: They certainly invite questions around the representation of innocence and divinity, and the power dynamics inherent in those depictions. Editor: Exactly. It's a fascinating piece to unpack, reflecting both religious devotion and the social structures of its time.