St. Charles Borromeo 1600 - 1688

Curator: Welcome. We’re standing before Claude Mellan’s "St. Charles Borromeo," an engraving dating from sometime between 1600 and 1688, now residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It's struck by its quiet intensity. The use of line to create form is really quite fascinating – almost hypnotic. And the scale gives a feeling of intimacy despite the obviously religious subject matter. Curator: Indeed. Charles Borromeo was a Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan in the 16th century, revered for his work during the plague. He represents piety and service. Editor: You see how Mellan utilizes the parallel lines, almost exclusively, to generate the shading and contours. It's almost architectural, giving a structured solidity to his cape. Curator: The placement of Borromeo with his hands in prayer juxtaposed to the crucifix also directs how we are meant to comprehend religious symbolism and saintly virtue. Light floods the cross from above, directing divine attention to Borromeo’s veneration. Editor: It does create an ethereal effect but note how, strictly speaking, Mellan hasn't used hatching or cross-hatching in the conventional sense, forcing an almost hyper-realistic aesthetic effect that's so striking! Curator: Mellan truly captures Baroque ideals of capturing deep reverence and communicating them through powerful visual symbols to the viewers, reminding them of Christian humility. Editor: I find myself continually drawn to the rigorous economy of Mellan’s formal strategy here and its unexpectedly modern feel, while you seem more engaged by the historic and thematic resonances. Curator: Ultimately, artworks resonate differently for all. It is the multilayered conversation across different voices that helps the work sustain meaning for wider audiences. Editor: A fitting summary, given Mellan’s strategic layering of lines and meaning itself!