Rhetoric c. 1650

Editor: Here we have Rhetoric, an anonymous work with no specified date, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. The figure, draped and laurel-crowned, strikes me as both authoritative and…vulnerable? What do you see in its composition? Curator: I am drawn to the contrast between the crisp lines defining the figure and the softer rendering of the background landscape. The meticulously etched details of the drapery and the figure’s intense gaze suggest an allegorical representation, perhaps invoking classical ideals. Editor: Allegorical, as in… a symbolic representation of the art of rhetoric itself? The open book and gesturing hand seem to reinforce that. Curator: Precisely. The artist uses line and form to convey a powerful message about the art of persuasion, inviting us to consider its enduring relevance. Editor: I never thought about rhetoric in terms of line work, but that is a powerful point. Thanks!