Illustration to Tristram Shandy, II Th., p. 26: Two Men before an Architect Seated with Drawings of Fortifications 18th-19th century

Curator: This is "Illustration to Tristram Shandy, II Th., p. 26: Two Men before an Architect Seated with Drawings of Fortifications," an engraving by Daniel Berger. It’s currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? Intimacy disturbed. A heavy, draped bed dominates, and these figures, oh so formal, seem to be intruding on a very private moment. Curator: Precisely. Berger created this image as a frontispiece to Laurence Sterne’s novel, and he attempts to capture the oddball humor through social satire. Editor: It's the figure on the left that fascinates me. He seems almost skeletal, a memento mori lurking at the bedside. What do you make of that? Curator: I interpret it as a reflection of Sterne’s preoccupation with mortality and the fragility of life, which are central themes in the novel. Editor: Well, it certainly adds a layer of unease. This seemingly simple scene is really teeming with symbolism. It's unsettling, in the most compelling way. Curator: Indeed, Berger's engraving style heightens that tension.