Their Manner of Praying with Rattles about the Fire 1590

Curator: Here we have Theodor de Bry's engraving, "Their Manner of Praying with Rattles about the Fire," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: That fire commands immediate attention, doesn't it? Like a volcanic eruption frozen in mid-burst, yet somehow…contained. Curator: De Bry created this image based on accounts from early European explorers. It reflects prevailing European views on Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Editor: Knowing it's filtered through that colonial lens casts a new light. The serene setting now feels…staged, almost. Still, there's a raw energy, a sense of ritual. Curator: Indeed. The arrangement, the central fire, and the title all suggest a performance. The image is a commentary on cultural difference. Editor: I see it now, it’s as if the artist is presenting a narrative that is both captivating and perhaps, a bit…distant. It makes you think about whose story we're really seeing.