Lunettes of the Arbor c. 19th century

Curator: What immediately strikes me is the delicate chiaroscuro at play here. The artist, Paolo Toschi, really knew how to handle light and shadow. Editor: And how those images serve as political projects, especially considering how they are displayed in the Harvard Art Museums. Curator: Quite right. Toschi, who lived from 1788 to 1854, gave this piece the title, Lunettes of the Arbor. I see an overarching theme about power, specifically in the upper lunette showing a cherub crowning a second cherub and, in the lower lunette, a seated female figure accompanied by a snake. Editor: Yes, the contrast between the cherubic, playful scene above and the more somber, seated figure below creates a visual tension. There is a lot to be read into how those specific choices of image and composition serve to reinforce particular ideas about how we assign value. Curator: The deliberate arrangement of the two scenes—one divine, one earthly—certainly prompts reflections on the relationship between them. Editor: Precisely. It invites us to consider how societal values are created, promoted, and, indeed, challenged.