From Spenser's "Fairy Queen" c. 19th century

Curator: This is Thomas Hodgetts' "From Spenser's Fairy Queen," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It feels like a stage set, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely, the sepia tones and dramatic landscape evoke a sense of theatrical melancholy. It's like a memory play rendered in monochrome. Curator: Hodgetts draws inspiration from Edmund Spenser's epic poem, a vast allegory exploring virtues and vices. Notice the fallen tree, the rugged rocks – symbols of a journey, perhaps, or a moral trial. Editor: Yes, and the birds overhead… are they freedom, or are they omens? There's something about this image that speaks to the eternal human drama playing out within nature's grand design. Curator: It certainly prompts one to consider the weight of visual symbols and how they resonate across centuries. Editor: Agreed, it's a potent reminder that stories are embedded everywhere, even in the quiet desolation of a landscape.