Two Magicians, One Seated, and a Child c. 18th century

Editor: This piece is called "Two Magicians, One Seated, and a Child," by an anonymous artist. It's in the Harvard Art Museums. The image feels shrouded in mystery. What do you see in this work? Curator: This print invites us to consider the historical fascination with the occult, and its relationship to power structures. How might marginalized communities have utilized magic as a form of resistance or agency? Editor: Resistance? I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Consider who is excluded from traditional forms of power. Magic becomes a tool, a language for the disenfranchised to challenge the status quo. Does the imagery here hint at that? Editor: The animal skull is a pretty powerful symbol, whatever it means. I see the image in a new way now.