The Curse of Ham 1812

Curator: This is "The Curse of Ham" by Conte Carlo Lasinio, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's immediately striking how serene the composition appears, considering the subject matter. The meticulous detail almost contradicts the weighty narrative. Curator: Indeed. Lasinio uses this biblical narrative to, let’s say, "engage" with prevalent racial ideologies of his time. The curse placed upon Ham's descendants was historically used to justify slavery and racial discrimination. Editor: The figures and symbols seem carefully placed to reinforce a specific cultural memory. The architecture and landscape, along with the figures' gestures, create a scene ripe with moralizing. Curator: Precisely. Lasinio’s choices regarding the setting and the figures’ postures solidify a visual rhetoric, thereby reinforcing the power structures of the era. This work serves as an enduring visual testament to the damaging legacy of such narratives. Editor: Seeing the calm precision here challenges me to reflect on how insidious these narratives were, and arguably still are, in our collective visual vocabulary.