Three Farmers 1656 - 1658

Curator: Here we have Salvator Rosa's "Three Farmers," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a print, seemingly without a known creation date. Editor: The stark lines and shadowed figures give it such an immediate weight, wouldn't you agree? I'm drawn to the texture etched into the clothing. Curator: Rosa was quite interested in depicting the lives of common people. These aren't idealized peasants; there's a certain rawness to their portrayal. Editor: Yes, and the emphasis on their labor, the staff, the worn cloth…it speaks to the physical demands of their existence. You can practically feel the grit. Curator: Exactly, Rosa's work often challenged the artistic conventions of his time, injecting a dose of social realism into a world of grand allegories. Editor: It's a compelling image. A reminder that art can be found in the everyday struggle and in the materials that make up that struggle. Curator: A radical thought, showing dignity in the mundane. Editor: Indeed, worth considering even now.