Saint George and the Dragon, after Tintoretto 1893

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s "Saint George and the Dragon, after Tintoretto", held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a watercolor over graphite on paper. Editor: It’s dark and atmospheric. A swirling scene of violence and flight, deeply rooted in the symbolic imagery of good versus evil, conquest and liberation. Curator: Ross engaged deeply with the old masters, using watercolor to replicate the textures and drama of Tintoretto's original oil painting. This reveals a fascination with materiality, and with the process of translation between media. Editor: The legend of Saint George is a story of courage, but it’s also wrapped up in narratives of power. This rendering, filtered through Ross’s artistic lens, invites us to consider the social construction of heroism, and how such narratives are deployed. Curator: Indeed, the layering and blending of the watercolors creates a sense of depth, mimicking the glazes of oil paint, showing us the power of process in art making. Editor: Absolutely. And the way the artist grapples with the weight of myth and representation makes us consider the contemporary resonances of such depictions. Curator: It’s a wonderful example of how artistic practice can bridge historical periods and artistic mediums. Editor: A compelling encounter with the past that provokes vital conversations in the present.