Saint Simon c. 17th century

Curator: We're looking at Jacques Callot's etching, "Saint Simon," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: The lines are incredibly fine! There's a nervous energy in the hatching that gives Saint Simon's figure a haunted quality. Curator: Absolutely, and that nervous energy speaks to Callot's historical context. He created this print amid the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War. Simon, traditionally a fisherman and zealous missionary, stands here burdened. Editor: I see that burden in the way he leans on that saw, his symbol, his face etched with worry, though the halo suggests an inner light. The diagonal of the saw cuts dramatically through the composition. Curator: It does. And the background figures, seemingly unaware of Simon’s plight, illustrate the societal disconnect that Callot witnessed. The etching becomes a commentary on faith amid violence. Editor: So the piece is not just a devotional image, but a pointed critique using line and form to express profound social commentary. Curator: Precisely. It shows Callot's ability to make the political personal. Editor: I will never see the etching the same way again. The composition reveals how a few lines can echo an era.