Jesus 

Editor: Here we have Gustave Dore's charcoal drawing of Jesus. It has an almost haunting quality, intensified by the other ghostly faces surrounding him. What stands out to you in terms of the creation and message behind this portrait? Curator: It's important to recognize the materiality of this work. The charcoal isn't just a medium; it signifies a direct engagement with labor and a certain kind of reproducible image, likely intended for wide circulation in books. Consider the social context: what was the target demographic and what function might this image serve within that audience’s consumption of religious narratives? Editor: So, the accessibility of charcoal is key. Were there limitations on the consumption of fine art? Curator: Exactly. Dore's choice speaks volumes. Unlike oil paintings commissioned by the elite, this readily available image implicates mass production and consumption, potentially democratizing religious iconography, although still under specific editorial controls. What implications do you see for religious art at that time? Editor: I suppose it makes it far more available for people of lower economic means to consume it. To literally, own it themselves. That really challenges traditional notions of religious iconography only being reserved for the privileged. Curator: Precisely. And in that mass dissemination, do we lose some aura, some power that might exist with unique and traditionally ‘high’ art? It raises compelling questions about value, labor, and faith itself. Editor: That makes me see the piece in a totally new light; not just as a religious image, but also about accessibility, production and power dynamics within religion. Thank you!