Birth of Saint Benedict 1687 - 1717

Editor: This etching is "Birth of Saint Benedict" by Giacomo-Maria Giovannini, made sometime between 1687 and 1717. I’m immediately struck by how it uses two distinct planes to depict, well, I guess two different moments? What’s your read on it? Curator: The dual perspective is quite telling, isn't it? It creates a layered narrative, collapsing time and suggesting the enduring impact of the saint’s birth. Notice the women, how they occupy different symbolic roles? Below, the midwives are grounded in earthly duties, tending to the physical reality of birth. Editor: Yes, there’s that clear division, it feels a little artificial, do you think that was deliberate? Curator: Definitely deliberate. The scene above presents the social ramifications: the future. The use of the figures watching may serve to portray Saint Benedict as almost being put on display and being deemed a suitable leader from birth. Are they simply witnessing or judging the arrival of the child, perhaps prefiguring his sanctity and leadership? What visual cues suggest importance or spiritual weight to you? Editor: I see the woman with the water jug. Water is so often used for purification. But in my opinion it seems to have an obvious christian context and that would require further study and examination into that specific use. I feel a better sense of clarity with your perspective though. Thank you for sharing that. Curator: Indeed. Symbols often function as cultural memory. What was initially lost to you now seems to hold shape and cultural nuance. Thank you.