Body of Christ Supported by the Virgin and Saint John c. 17th century

Editor: Here we have Jacques Callot's "Body of Christ Supported by the Virgin and Saint John" housed here at Harvard Art Museums. It’s a somber scene, rendered with such fine lines. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: It whispers of profound grief, doesn't it? The crosshatching almost feels like a veil of tears. What truly captivates me is how Callot manages to convey such raw emotion with such meticulous detail. Almost as if, by rendering pain so precisely, he's trying to understand it. What do you make of the architectural setting? Editor: It feels like a stage, almost artificial. I wonder if that was intentional, to highlight the drama. Curator: Precisely! And perhaps to frame the figures, as if they were relics themselves. It adds to the sense of timelessness, don't you think? It's a heartbreaking tableau. I shall carry it within me now. Editor: I completely agree; it does encourage contemplation. Thanks, I noticed so much more now.