Patron saints of Bologna looking upwards at the Virgin who is seated in the clouds with the infant Christ on her lap, after Reni 1640 - 1650

Editor: This is “Patron Saints of Bologna Looking Upwards at the Virgin who is Seated in the Clouds with the Infant Christ on Her Lap, After Reni,” dating from 1640 to 1650, by Flaminio Torre. It’s a print housed here at the Met. What strikes me immediately is the sheer drama of the composition - the way all the figures are gazing upwards, as though caught in a moment of profound revelation. What do you make of the upward gaze in this print? Curator: Oh, the upward gaze! It’s like the collective breath of a city caught in a divine updraft. It pulls me in. The Baroque, isn't it delicious? It’s not just seeing, but *yearning* to see. These aren’t just saints; they’re Bolognese, earthed in their civic identity yet completely transported. Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what they hope to catch in their sight? Or, more provocatively, what is escaping their earthly grasp? Editor: I never thought of it as *yearning*... more like, well, *seeing.* So the Saints representing the city - is that typical of Baroque prints? Curator: Representing earthly cities, hmm... Baroque revels in dualities - heavenly and terrestrial. Flaminio isn't just showing devotion. The composition feels deeply rooted in Bologna's sense of self. Consider the print as propaganda of devotion – images to assert cultural identity. But is it all devotion? Or is there perhaps an attempt to negotiate earthly ambitions through religious appeal? Editor: Propaganda, interesting! That adds another layer entirely. It shifts the focus from purely religious to something more grounded. I am rethinking this now! Curator: Precisely! Think about what such imagery might have done for a society riddled with tension and, dare I say, aspirations. What a subtle dance, right? Always more to discover with the Baroque. Editor: Yes, much more. I will be thinking about the earthly aspirations a long time!