Death of Mary Magdelene c. 17th century

Curator: This is Jacques Callot's "Death of Mary Magdalene," held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's incredibly small—a miniature drama! The stark contrast and swirling lines give it such a haunted, interior feel. Curator: Indeed. Callot, though working in the 17th century, really anticipates modern anxieties. Magdalene, in this tiny etching, is a figure adrift. Editor: I'm struck by the implied violence against her—a woman isolated, perhaps punished, in a world constructed by men. It’s a familiar narrative that still echoes today. Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe she has simply found solace in a solitary existence, one free from worldly concerns, as the cave suggests to me. Editor: I'm not convinced, given the vulnerability expressed in her posture. It's a bit of a stretch to suggest agency there, but maybe she is claiming something. Curator: These dialogues between solitude and societal pressure are exactly what make Callot's work so relevant, I think. Editor: And how these images still challenge us to look closely at the lives of marginalized women, and question what it means to find freedom.