San Giobbe Altarpiece, after Bellini 1899 - 1900

Editor: So this is George Hawley Hallowell's "San Giobbe Altarpiece, after Bellini" at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a copy, but it almost has a hazy, dreamlike feel. What strikes you about it? Curator: It's funny you say "dreamlike," because that's precisely what Bellini was moving *away* from. Hallowell seems to soften the edges, adding a layer of romanticism that wasn't there in the original's crisp Venetian light. It makes me wonder what Hallowell was trying to convey. Editor: Do you think he was successful in adding his interpretation? Curator: I think it's a successful interpretation in its own right. It's not Bellini, of course, but it offers a quiet, contemplative mood that's compelling. It invites us to reflect on how we see and understand the old masters. Editor: That's a good point; it makes you consider layers of influence and how time changes an image. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! It makes me realize that art is constantly being re-imagined.