Der Erzengel Michael und das Schweigen vor der Höhle des Schlafes (nach Ariost) c. 1785 - 1789

Curator: Immediately, I see energy and swirling motion. There's a drama, a narrative being unfolded in these strokes. It feels raw and dynamic, doesn't it? Editor: It does. The work we're observing is entitled "Der Erzengel Michael und das Schweigen vor der Hölle des Schlafes (nach Ariost)," or in English, "The Archangel Michael and the Silence Before the Cave of Sleep (after Ariosto)." It's attributed to Jean-Honoré Fragonard, created around 1785 to 1789, executed in charcoal, chalk, and ink on paper. Curator: After Ariosto… so, inspiration struck from literature! I see Michael leading the charge, pointing perhaps towards some sleeping horror— the energy in his pose is incredible! Almost sketched into being. It’s a world of shadows. Editor: Indeed. Fragonard’s technical choices are integral to its success. The contrasting values—the areas of dense charcoal against the lighter chalk—heighten the drama. The loose handling gives a sense of immediacy and the sublime. It's as if we’re witnessing the birth of a Romantic vision. Curator: A birth perhaps... but one with the dark premonitions! I see figures lurking there in the cavern opening – hints of the fantastical seeping from dreams into stark reality. This wasn't merely illustration; he evokes feelings, textures... It really moves beyond depiction! Editor: Precisely. If we consider semiotics, each stroke operates as a signifier contributing to an allegory beyond the literal narrative from Ariosto’s poem. The overall structure functions as an elaborate system. The light isn't just illumination, but an assertion against the chaotic darkness… It elevates itself through those relations. Curator: But still, though…the shadows call. I sense uncertainty, and those rapid lines add an intensity which speaks to me more deeply about artistic processes than literary adaptation. It feels exposed, less crafted narrative – perhaps Fragonard revealing personal struggle more implicitly than dictation? Editor: It may well reveal a deeply felt sensibility aligned with the emergent Romanticism. But either way it makes you reconsider relationships beyond merely representing content taken only out of a printed volume – and think critically instead around something experienced first personally as well.. I love what has just unfolded though since starting ourselves…