Detail of The Ascension of Saint John the Evangelist, after Giotto (recto and verso) 19th-20th century

Curator: Denman Waldo Ross created this piece, "Detail of The Ascension of Saint John the Evangelist, after Giotto," which now resides in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks so ethereal, almost like a dream fading into the canvas. The figures are rendered with such a gentle hand. Curator: Indeed. Ross was deeply influenced by early Renaissance masters like Giotto. This work reflects a fascination with their use of light and simplified forms. It's a study in reverence. Editor: And the verticality! It draws your eye upward, mimicking the ascension it depicts, I suppose. There is a kind of gentle solemnity about the whole scene. Curator: Ross, through his art and teaching, aimed to integrate historical techniques into modern artistic practices, really considering art’s role in society and how we learn from the past. Editor: I’m left contemplating the idea of devotion and the quiet beauty found in humility. Curator: It really brings a fresh appreciation for earlier masters and their impact on later generations.