St. Stephen 1494

Editor: Here we have Domenico Ghirlandaio's "St. Stephen," an oil and tempera painting from 1494. I'm immediately drawn to the realism, even with the subject's wounds. What's your take on it? Curator: What strikes me is the materiality of it all. The blending of oil and tempera would have been a very conscious decision relating to the cost of materials, perhaps dictated by a patron with a tight budget, or simply reflecting workshops techniques and resources available to Ghirlandaio. How does that affect your reading? Editor: I hadn't considered the economics! So, the combination might tell us something about patronage and workshop practices? Curator: Precisely! Tempera, while offering vibrancy, dried quickly. Oil paint allowed for layering and blending, indicating a negotiation between cost and desired effect. How do you think that interplay affects the message of this piece? Editor: Maybe the contrast between the more affordable, standard tempera and then richer oil allows for a stark representation of St. Stephen, simultaneously emphasizing devotion with some sort of humble recognition. Curator: And thinking about social context, remember the Renaissance saw a rise in merchant class patrons. Ghirlandaio catered to this new wealth. The materials, the details – it's all tied to production, consumption, and a very specific historical moment. Consider also the cost of the lapis lazuli pigment, ground into powder for making blue color in his robes; it makes you wonder what part was actually painted in Ghirlandaio's own hand? Editor: It really changes the way you see it, shifting from simply admiring the artistry to understanding its place in a larger economic and social system. Thanks, I'll definitely look at art differently now! Curator: Exactly! It is fascinating to reveal a more accurate truth of past, just through its ingredients and method of construction.