Sistine Madonna 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Christian Gottfried Schulze’s "Sistine Madonna," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm struck by its delicate lines. Editor: It’s quite dramatic, isn't it? The figures emerge from what seems like a heavenly cloud, shrouded by heavy drapes. Curator: As a print, its creation involved multiple steps: engraving, etching, and potentially even aquatint to achieve these subtle tonal variations. Think of the labor involved! Editor: And how that labor is framed within a deeply entrenched power dynamic. The Madonna figure is, of course, a symbol of idealized motherhood, but also of the Church’s dominion. Curator: True, but the artist’s process allows us to look at the production, distribution, and accessibility of such imagery, and the skilled labour that underpins them. Editor: Indeed. Art is so often tied to the social structures in which it was born. Curator: Precisely. Let's consider how prints themselves have been a critical tool for disseminating information and ideologies across social strata. Editor: A potent thought as we leave this piece behind. Thank you for sharing. Curator: My pleasure. Always a pleasure to examine how images and materials intersect!