Holy Family with Saint John c. 17th century

Curator: This is Guido Reni’s, Holy Family with Saint John, currently held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The lines are so active, almost frantic. It gives a real sense of movement, even though it's a static scene. What material is it? Curator: It's an etching. Reni was quite celebrated for his prints, which allowed for wider dissemination of his idealized forms. Editor: Dissemination is right. Look at the labor involved in creating the plate, the printing process… It's a reproduction, a commodity from the start, making the holy family accessible to a broader audience. Curator: Indeed. And consider the performative piety inherent in owning and displaying such an image. Editor: It’s a tangible object embedding cultural capital and reinforcing class structures. Quite the material investment, spiritually and economically. Curator: A fascinating interplay of devotion and social status, wouldn't you agree?