Illusie c. 1400 - 1950

Curator: This sculpture, entitled *Illusie*, its creation spanning from approximately 1400 to 1950 by Johan Hendrik Baars, is crafted from marble. It's an intriguing work, don't you think? What are your initial impressions? Editor: It has a classical feel but its age range makes it puzzling. The texture of the marble and the figure's pose give it an air of both vulnerability and strength. What can you tell me about how its materiality connects to the work’s meaning? Curator: Consider the accessibility of marble itself. For whom was this material available and what social structures underpinned its extraction, distribution and deployment? It mimics a classical style, but the long production timeframe prompts questions about labour. What forms of social relations shaped its existence? How does the marble medium itself carry or contest those relations? Editor: That’s a good point. The timeframe does make it less of a singular artistic vision and more of a collective, extended endeavor. Curator: Precisely. How might shifts in artistic labour or taste over those centuries have impacted the evolving form of the statue? Could we trace material availability or cost as it moved through time? How might that tell us something about this culture? Editor: So you’re suggesting we should focus less on individual intention and more on how material and production reflect larger historical and economic forces at play. Curator: Exactly! By considering the labour, economic structures, and historical context interwoven with the marble itself, the sculpture speaks volumes about artistic production across an extensive time. It offers an unusual opportunity. Editor: That definitely gives me a different perspective on how to approach classical sculpture. Curator: Indeed, it helps us move past aesthetic appreciation alone. Editor: Thank you, I've never looked at sculpture this way!