Back View of a Man Reading 18th-19th century

Editor: This is John Skippe's "Back View of a Man Reading," from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a small print and the figure is dressed in what looks like classical robes. What strikes me is how deliberately his face is turned away. What can you tell me about that? Curator: It's interesting to consider how this image participates in the 18th-century’s fascination with antiquity and the Grand Tour. Skippe's choice to depict the figure's back invites us to ponder the act of reading itself, and who had access to such leisure and learning. How does this relate to notions of status and privilege in that era? Editor: So, it's about more than just reading; it's about the *ability* to read, and what that signified? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the image's circulation through prints might democratize access to such imagery, even if it couldn't democratize access to education itself. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding the power dynamics embedded in art! Curator: Indeed. Art often reflects and reinforces social structures, even when it seems simply representational.