Mary, Jesus and St Francis 1570 - 1719

Curator: Well, what a piece this is! I find myself drawn into this shadowy, devotional space that, ironically, includes the distinct Baroque period symbols of "vanitas." The soft skin, pink-cheeked cherubs swirling around a poised Madonna with baby Jesus in her arms and Saint Francis adoring, reminds me of the inevitability of everything. Like we will be this gorgeous then gone. Editor: "Gorgeous" is right—I immediately get that Venetian opulence feeling. Check out how the artist has composed the forms; notice the striking triangle made of the Madonna and Child with St. Francis down below. The skull, the book, the crucifix. All rendered in deep hues… Curator: See! Baroque period visual rhetoric. Right down to that beautifully balanced asymmetry! Do you think it’s meant to elicit both wonder and melancholy? What would Saint Francis be reflecting on while in adoration with Mary and child? This is not how Francis envisioned simplicity and joy as an ideal! This is so… complicated! Editor: He likely mused on similar concepts as anyone, though—consider how the symbolism engages on a basic level. You get life through mother and child. Death with the skull. Faith—there's the open book of knowledge. Then, suffering represented with the crucifix resting nearby. What you are feeling emotionally resonates in these visual choices. Also, let's discuss materiality, there are thin glazes with such light and dark hues that feel layered together. How old did you say the piece was? Curator: Actually, the piece is dated between 1570-1719, oil on canvas, unsigned, titled, "Mary, Jesus and St. Francis". Pretty impressive brushwork and tone, right? The anonymity does feel a bit melancholic, don't you think? Editor: Anonymity adds another layer. Did the artist consider the possibility that we wouldn't know who created it? Or are we adding modern-day value to the lack of the artist’s attribution? Maybe we are reading more than necessary into this image. Curator: Maybe. Although that would suggest we consider its creation through modern, academic critical lenses and apply modern constructs... Hmmm… Either way, the picture moves me every time. What else is art for if not to stir up something? Editor: Indeed. It's a really unique moment, though. Life, death, adoration—the whole of existence distilled in one scene. The formal elements serve that narrative.