Stella Matutina 1894

Curator: Charles-Marie Dulac created this lovely aquatint, Stella Matutina. It resides here at the Harvard Art Museums, measuring about 32 by 48 centimeters. Editor: It’s wonderfully muted. The colors give the impression of dawn still struggling to break through the mist. It looks almost dreamlike. Curator: The title, "Morning Star," deepens that feeling. Dulac was drawn to spiritual themes, and he often incorporated celestial imagery. Light, of course, represents knowledge and divine presence. Editor: That's interesting, because the aquatint process itself—layering acid to etch the plate—feels alchemical. The artist is literally working with base materials to conjure this ethereal scene. Curator: Indeed, there's a correspondence between the material and the symbolic. Editor: That fusion makes for a quiet, contemplative image, one that lingers. Curator: Precisely. Dulac invites us to reflect on the subtle shifts between darkness and light, both in the world and within ourselves.