Columbus and His Son c. 19th century

Curator: This is Edward Goodall’s engraving, "Columbus and His Son," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The figures seem so small, set against the architecture. Editor: Yes, the diminutive scale and monochromatic rendering lends a somewhat melancholic air to the image. But what narrative choices frame this paternal relationship? Curator: The composition draws the eye upwards, following the staircase, to the implied grandeur of the architecture beyond. It’s a study in line and form, creating depth despite the limited tonal range. Editor: And yet, who is this Columbus? To glorify a figure inextricably linked to colonialism without any interrogation is a loaded choice. Where is the acknowledgment of the indigenous experience? Curator: Certainly, we can analyze the engraving purely on its technical merits—the cross-hatching, the subtle gradations of light. Editor: But the context of the subject matter cannot be divorced from its visual impact. It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths. Curator: Indeed, a work that offers a stark technical study, complicated by our contemporary understanding of its subject. Editor: Precisely, an engraving that perhaps unintentionally, prompts a re-evaluation of our inherited narratives.