De heilige Lucas schildert Maria met kind 1738 - 1815

Editor: This engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi, "Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child," from around the late 1700s is just lovely. There's something so intimate and devotional about it. What catches your eye? Curator: Indeed, there is much to consider. Look closely – have you observed how St. Luke, the patron saint of artists, isn't merely depicted in the act of painting? Editor: Yes? Curator: He’s recreating an icon! The image itself becomes an icon within the larger image, layered with symbolism and belief. And who are his other subjects? Are there classical, or baroque, pictorial components you identify? Editor: Hmm, is that a bull, like a zodiacal symbol, with one of the subjects as well? And is the bull there because he’s one of the evangelists? Curator: Precisely! This composition links divine inspiration with the artistic process, memory, and history itself. Bartolozzi calls on established symbolic systems. What feelings might this image evoke in a viewer familiar with these visual codes? Editor: It almost feels like a reminder of the importance of art. It's cool how this image becomes part of that tradition. Curator: Exactly, the creation of the artwork strengthens our perception of its enduring influence! This layering of meanings and images continues to be of value! Editor: I hadn't thought about how images and meanings layer like that. It definitely adds another depth to appreciating this print. Thanks!