Pala di Fano (Assumption) 1497

Editor: Pietro Perugino's "Pala di Fano (Assumption)," created around 1497, is breathtaking. I’m struck by how ethereal it feels, the Virgin floating serenely surrounded by these, honestly, slightly goofy-looking angels. What's your take on its enduring appeal? Curator: Goofy angels! I adore that observation. It's true, Perugino’s angels have a certain… innocent charm, shall we say? The enduring appeal, I think, lies in that very juxtaposition. He blends the earthly, the human – look at the incredibly lifelike faces of the apostles – with the divine. It’s an attempt to make the heavens accessible, understandable. The Italian Renaissance was all about that, finding God in humanity and humanity in God. Does it resonate with you on that level? Editor: It does, especially seeing those expressive faces. I almost missed the individual detail with everything else going on. So it's not just a pretty picture; it's striving for something more. Curator: Exactly. It’s about that striving, that reaching for the heavens while firmly planted on earth. I imagine Perugino asking himself how could he encapsulate human yearning for the divine? It’s visible in those upturned faces, in the almost dreamlike landscape, it is almost theatrical, wouldn’t you say? It’s a scene both grand and intimately personal, a balance that touches something deep within us. Editor: Absolutely! I can see that now. It's like he's giving us permission to imagine our own ascent. Thank you – those details really do open up a completely different understanding of it. Curator: My pleasure! And thanks to your, shall we say, ‘colorful’ angel assessment, I see it slightly differently too now! That’s what art should do; invite us all to partake, critique, and reinterpret.