Statue: Calliope 18th-19th century

Curator: Antoine Alexandre Morel gives us "Statue: Calliope," which resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. I find it almost severe, don't you? So still, so… contained. Editor: It has a calming, stately presence, like a quiet guardian. Thinking about its production, the labor involved in its creation is significant. Curator: Indeed, and the classical subject matter, the muse of epic poetry, links it to traditions of craft, but also to power structures. It makes me wonder, what kind of system allowed for such a refined object to be commissioned, crafted, and preserved? Editor: Absolutely! It reflects a cultural obsession with idealized forms and perhaps, a desire for connection to the past. Is it beautiful, though? Curator: Well, that's it, isn't it? Even with its inherent austerity and the labor that made it, the human spirit always finds ways to make something beautiful. Editor: It's a thought. I think I'm content leaving it at that.