Saint Peter c. 1595

Curator: This is Zacharias Dolendo's "Saint Peter," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It is a striking engraving. Editor: The cross-hatching is so dense. The face seems weary, though the keys feel powerful. Curator: The medium is telling; consider the labor involved in creating such detail, the precise cuts into the metal plate. It emphasizes the significance of dissemination and reproduction. Editor: And Peter, holding the keys to heaven, becomes a symbol of institutional power, of access granted or denied within a very patriarchal structure. The open book at the bottom hints at the intersection of faith and knowledge accessible to the few. Curator: Absolutely, the materiality of printmaking made images accessible to a growing audience, thereby expanding the reach of religious figures like Peter. Editor: True, and seeing that reach, we must also acknowledge the constraints and biases inherent in that system. Curator: It's remarkable to consider the relationship between the physical engraving and its socio-religious implications. Editor: Indeed. Dolendo's Saint Peter provides a layered glimpse into belief and power dynamics.