Ognissanti Polyptych, Reconstruction 

Editor: This is a reconstruction of Giovanni da Milano's Ognissanti Polyptych, a tempera painting from the Italian Renaissance. It strikes me how modular it is, almost like a set of individual devotional images brought together. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to how this polyptych, even in reconstruction, speaks to the socio-political role of art in its time. These weren’t merely aesthetic objects; they were powerful tools for shaping public belief and reinforcing social hierarchies. Editor: Social hierarchies? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the prominent placement of religious figures and saints, elevated both literally and figuratively through artistic skill. What do you think that communicates to the viewers of that time? Editor: It does seem to place religious figures at the top. It highlights their importance...and maybe, through that, the importance of the church itself? Curator: Precisely. And think about who commissioned and funded these pieces: wealthy patrons, religious institutions... Their stories were visually represented here. Art was less a personal expression and more a carefully managed tool of public relations, would you agree? Editor: That makes sense. It feels less about the artist's personal vision and more about reinforcing established power. I guess I hadn't considered the public's reaction beyond the immediate religious context. Curator: Exactly! Considering its history shifts our understanding of what it *means* as opposed to what it *shows*. Editor: This reconstruction really underscores how polyptychs served not only as art but as visual tools reinforcing a particular world order. Curator: Precisely, it makes you wonder how it looked originally and where it hung. Context truly changes the lens through which we view art.