Martyrdom of Saint Peter 1863

Editor: This is "Martyrdom of Saint Peter" by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, made in 1863. It appears to be a drawing using chalk and charcoal on paper. There's such a raw and visceral quality to the piece. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: The tangible qualities of this drawing really drive its message home, don't they? The blending of chalk and charcoal isn’t just a technical choice; it is deeply entwined with how the artwork functions within its historical and social context. This was made at a time of immense social upheaval. How might the relatively ‘cheap’ mediums like chalk and charcoal inform this reading of sacrifice and death? Editor: That's an interesting question. Does the roughness speak to a particular message the artist wanted to convey about class or struggle? It doesn’t have the refinement you might see with oils. Curator: Exactly! The raw quality removes any sense of idealization. By using humble materials, Carpeaux shifts our attention away from the wealth often associated with art production and towards the physical reality of Saint Peter's suffering and the labor involved in creating such an image. It’s also vital to think about the physical making process – what actions created the final artwork, how were these tools used, how were they available and by who. Consider what that means in relation to the divine. Editor: That gives me a totally different way of thinking about the piece. I hadn't considered the economic or even social implications of the medium itself. Curator: The means of production themselves become part of the artwork's meaning! It challenges the divide between the high art of the academy and the everyday experience of labor and mortality. Editor: I definitely see how a materialist lens really opens up interpretations beyond just the religious narrative itself. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely. Looking closely at materials lets us rethink established narratives in critical and thought-provoking ways.