Assumption of Mary 

Curator: So, here we have Gaspare Diziani's "Assumption of Mary." It's an etching, done with ink, a beautiful rendering of a classic baroque theme currently held in the Städel Museum. Editor: The overall impression for me is ethereal... and dramatic! It’s like a swirling cloud of devotion lifting Mary upwards, such freedom in those brushstrokes or, well, etching lines! The composition almost explodes outwards. Curator: Exactly. The upward momentum is quintessential Baroque. And Diziani really captures the feeling of ascension through all those figures gazing up. Those gestures tell the story. See how they reach out, expressing awe? Editor: It is all very dynamic! What strikes me is the use of clouds, not just as literal elements, but also as symbols. Clouds are always ambiguous, aren’t they? Here, they could represent both divine mystery, concealing and revealing, and the emotional fog of earthly life that Mary transcends. I love the emotional power of that visual vocabulary. Curator: Oh, definitely. Cloudscapes act like both stage and vehicle. Think of the tradition of representing holiness through light, all that glow suggesting divine grace. And the symbolic function of the dove, representing the Holy Spirit. The cross above it. Each element carefully placed to remind the viewer about what happens at Assumption, the soul's and body reunion after death and being raised to Heaven by God’s grace. Editor: And let's not overlook the absence of color, its monochrome aesthetic, the etching giving everything this wonderful dream-like feeling...Almost as if the viewer is transported from reality and finds themselves looking upon the miraculous. Curator: Perhaps that etching process itself lends a certain ‘remoteness’ that fits with the otherworldly event being depicted! So interesting how technique enhances content! What do you think Diziani hoped to communicate by choosing those materials and the monochromatic style? Editor: Perhaps it speaks to the transition of matter to spirit, the very process of etching transforming something physical into something etherea– Curator: That's beautifully put. Leaving the heaviness behind to float, like Mary! Editor: Exactly. It truly invites one to reflect on what elevates us. Thanks for showing it to me! Curator: Likewise, the perspective was wonderfully enriching.