The Wailing Wall 

Editor: This is “The Wailing Wall,” a painting of unclear date by Jean-Léon Gérôme. The artist renders an individual praying before massive stone blocks. I am struck by the stark contrast between the smooth, patterned ground and the rough texture of the ancient wall. What's your take on it? Curator: As a materialist, I am immediately drawn to the construction of both the wall and the painting itself. Consider the labor involved in quarrying, transporting, and assembling these massive stones. Each mark, each imperfection, speaks to the human effort and the historical weight embedded in the material. What do you make of the small sprouts of life clinging to the wall? Editor: They're unexpected and hopeful! It almost seems to symbolize resilience in the face of hardship and destruction. But you’re right, the work that went into creating something like that must have been extremely labor-intensive. Curator: Precisely! Gérôme, by choosing this subject, is not simply depicting a scene; he's engaging with the complex relationship between labor, materiality, and the passage of time. The smooth ground in contrast suggests a level of imposed order onto a site charged with spiritual and historical significance. Notice how even the man praying bears the tools of travel resting against the wall at his feet. Editor: I didn't notice that before. It highlights that tension you described between the historical and the everyday. What are your thoughts on the orientalist gaze Gérôme is using? Curator: The 'orientalist' lens further complicates the reading. How does Gérôme's position as a European artist influence his representation of this site and its significance? Does he romanticize the scene, or does he genuinely grapple with the weight of history? Consider also, the commodification of culture when the artwork enters the art market, where does it get situated into an exchange economy? Editor: That’s fascinating! I never considered the painting itself as a material object caught up in its own economic and cultural context. Curator: Seeing art through a materialist lens allows us to see the artwork not only as representation but also as product, a form of social relation as well as the result of social relations. There is so much more to consider.