Amedeo I c. 19th century

Editor: This is Agostino Lauro's "Amedeo I," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The regal figure has a very distinctive crown. What do you see in this image? Curator: The crown immediately catches the eye, doesn't it? Consider how crowns, across cultures, symbolize legitimacy and power. Note his open palm – what message might that be conveying? Editor: Perhaps extending an offer? Curator: Precisely. And what about the scroll on the table? Documents often signify contracts, laws, or declarations, rooting power in written form. How does that affect your perception? Editor: It makes him seem like a ruler concerned with governance. I hadn't thought of it that way.