Il Canto Della Vergine 2015

Editor: Here we have Roberto Ferri’s “Il Canto Della Vergine” painted in 2015 using oil paint. The surreal elements contrasted with realism create a fascinating scene. What strikes me is the almost tactile quality of the figure and the crisp linen, almost contrasting with the brutal imagery. How do you see this painting? Curator: What interests me are the layers of labour embedded here. Look at the meticulous oil painting technique; hours spent in creating the illusion of skin and fabric. Ferri appropriates Baroque aesthetics, a style commissioned primarily by wealthy patrons for religious and political purposes. Now consider the subject matter; a stark contrast of violence inflicted on a female nude, surrounded by symbols like doves and a cross. Editor: So you're suggesting that the artist is deliberately drawing our attention to the means of production, making us think about who commissions art and for what purpose? Curator: Exactly. The smooth finish of the oil paint, usually celebrated for its illusionistic qualities, almost amplifies the discomfort here, doesn’t it? This "high art" rendering serves to draw the viewer in. Then what? What commentary might be at play here regarding female bodies as objects of beauty and, simultaneously, of suffering throughout art history, facilitated by specific patronage systems? Editor: I hadn't considered that the chosen medium actually reinforces the message rather than just being a neutral element. That brings a new depth to understanding Ferri's intentions. Curator: Thinking about it this way, focusing on the materiality and how it informs the artwork, reveals how artists engage with both art history and the socio-economic conditions of art-making itself. Hopefully that is something for listeners to take with them today!