Saint Theresa c. 17th century

Curator: This is Claude Mellan's drawing, Saint Theresa, at the Harvard Art Museums. I’m immediately struck by the delicacy of the medium; the washes create a very ethereal feel. Editor: The composition is compelling. Note the thorned headwear, the crucifix, the books—all juxtaposed to frame a narrative of suffering and devotion. Curator: And the process is fascinating! Mellan was known for his engravings, but here the material and the artist's hand are plainly visible. The lines aren't clean, there is a real sense of labor, and of building the image up in layers. Editor: It’s impossible to ignore the social and political context, too. Teresa's own writings challenged patriarchal structures. This piece embodies her act of resistance against the status quo. Curator: Absolutely. The visible materials, the sketch-like quality, this all undermines notions of preciousness in art-making; and it brings us closer to understanding this piece as evidence of an individual human's labor. Editor: It pushes me to consider Theresa's identity as a woman of power within a religious framework. It reclaims her voice. Curator: I find new appreciation examining how Mellan used a humble medium to explore power and the concept of the divine. Editor: This image reminds us that a single artwork can hold many layers of meaning, resonating with both its time and our own.