Sketches of Skeletons: An Animal and Hunchback c. 1829 - 1830

Editor: Here we have Eugène Delacroix's "Sketches of Skeletons: An Animal and Hunchback," a small drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. There’s a certain playful darkness to these skeletal figures. What sociopolitical narratives do you find resonating here? Curator: Delacroix, working in a time of social upheaval, may have been exploring the fragility of life and the pervasiveness of death. The animal skeleton, juxtaposed with the human ones, blurs the lines between species, maybe questioning hierarchies? What do you think about the "hunchback" figure in relation to societal perceptions of the marginalized? Editor: That’s a really interesting way to approach this piece. I hadn't considered how it reflects social anxieties. Curator: Exactly. Art often mirrors and challenges the prevailing norms. Looking at it now, perhaps we can see it as a commentary on the transient nature of power structures.