Pandora 1879

Curator: This is Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "Pandora," currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Rossetti, born in 1828, painted this mythological scene, though the specific date is unknown. Editor: It's so ethereal, like a dream fading at the edges. That box looks heavy and dangerous, and it’s contrasting with her rather sad, knowing expression. Curator: Rossetti often explored themes of beauty, desire, and mortality, deeply rooted in Pre-Raphaelite ideals. Here, he visualizes Pandora, the woman who unleashed evils upon the world. Editor: Those tendrils of smoke are gorgeous, the way they echo the shape of her hair; are they spirits? They’re beautiful and scary all at once. I think they represent all that's escaped. Curator: Indeed, this image cemented Pandora's role in art history. Rossetti emphasizes the consequences of curiosity and the fallibility of human nature, which were themes he often engaged with throughout his career. Editor: What a burden, to be the image of that moment. Now I feel a bit sorry for Pandora. She’s forever linked to one impulsive act.