Life of Christ. Eglise Saint-Sulpice de Fougères (detail) 1919

Editor: Here we have a detail from Ludovic Alleaume’s “Life of Christ,” made in 1919, a stained glass piece located in the Église Saint-Sulpice de Fougères. The somber tones create a rather intense and unsettling viewing experience. I’m curious, what is your take on it? Curator: The immediate impact stems from Alleaume's manipulation of form and color. Note how the sharp, angular lines defining the figures create a sense of rigidity. Then observe how the artist juxtaposes that texture against the softness of the drapery, and the flatness of the glass juxtaposes depth within a limited space. The gaze of the child compels our gaze, demanding us to wonder the story this structural relationship has on our reading. Editor: It's interesting that you focus on the formal elements and how they work together. I was initially caught up in trying to understand the narrative. But now, examining how the shapes create that narrative is powerful. Do you think that ignoring historical context can alter a viewer’s opinion of the piece? Curator: Consider that stripping away the historical narrative, or cultural context can open an engagement between the viewer and object relationship, creating space for personal interpretation or reflection of the piece's deeper formal meaning, such as color composition, spatial depth or the juxtaposition between various structures. How else could a viewer discover an artwork if not based on form alone? Editor: I never really thought about it that way before, it’s like the artist gives us building blocks of form to begin creating meaning within the art. This has been incredibly insightful. I see the formal structure more clearly now! Curator: Indeed. By analyzing those building blocks of shape, colour and line we start to see beyond subject matter and deeper within the artwork itself.