Saint Remi c. 19th century

Editor: This is Isidore Pils's pencil drawing, "Saint Remi," created around the 19th century. It's a full-figure study of a person in flowing robes, with a blank, upturned face. It feels almost like a sketch for a larger history painting, but I’m intrigued by the incompleteness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a poignant reflection of power and its representation. This "Saint Remi," though ostensibly a religious figure, exists within a visual language steeped in the colonial gaze. Consider the power dynamics inherent in academic art training: Whose bodies were deemed worthy of study? Whose stories were monumentalized through "history painting"? And who was excluded? This faceless figure, for me, raises questions about how religious and historical narratives were used, often problematically, to reinforce dominant ideologies. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. I was so focused on the technical skill and the classical composition. Are you suggesting that even in a drawing like this, there's an implicit commentary on social hierarchies? Curator: Absolutely. Art never exists in a vacuum. Even the choice to depict a "saint," to render him in this academic style, to focus on drapery and form – all these choices reflect and perpetuate certain values. Think about who commissioned and consumed art like this: predominantly the wealthy, white, male elite. We need to ask how these depictions shaped, and continue to shape, our understanding of history, religion, and identity. Is there something powerful about him not having a face? Editor: I suppose focusing on historical context gives it a new weight and it highlights the impact of the artwork in terms of religious views in European countries during the colonial period. I think I see this drawing differently now. Thanks for your time. Curator: The pleasure was all mine, I leave with many of the same considerations.