Inverno c. 18th century

Curator: This is "Inverno" by Giovanni Folo, who lived from 1764 to 1836, currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? The melancholic weight of winter—etched in lines of age and hardship. The man seems almost burdened by the very season he embodies. Curator: The piece evokes the transition of seasons, maybe reflecting on the cyclical nature of life itself, but the process of intaglio printmaking, the labor involved, it suggests the human cost of artistic creation too. Editor: Beautifully put, yes. I feel that human element so strongly—the fine craft involved in replicating Folo’s vision, the hours bent over the plate... it resonates. Curator: Indeed. It’s more than just an image of winter; it’s about the patient endurance required to face it, both in life and in art. Editor: Leaving us to contemplate the quiet beauty born from stark, unyielding conditions. A somber yet strangely comforting reflection.