Study for _Christ Exorcising a Demon_ c. 1660 - 1665

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Study for _Christ Exorcising a Demon_," a drawing by Salvator Rosa, dating from around 1660 to 1665, now held at the Städel Museum. It's executed in chalk, ink, and pencil on paper. Editor: My initial reaction is the incredible tension. The swirling, almost violent energy seems to burst right off the aged paper. The composition really enhances that feeling of raw power. Curator: Absolutely. And if we look at it materially, the layering of ink and chalk, the varying pressure of the pencil lines, contribute to that dynamic quality. It showcases Rosa's virtuosity in manipulating these readily available materials to create such drama. Consider the social context; the Baroque period was marked by upheaval and religious fervor and drawings like these offered the public engagement on this through the means of visual art and interpretation. Editor: It also speaks volumes about artistic processes, doesn’t it? We are so used to seeing finished works in the salons or churches, the grand history paintings this would've served as preparatory material for, but here we can view his technique and labor behind the production, laying bare a fraction of the production behind Rosa's paintings. Curator: Exactly! Rosa uses a readily available narrative – Christ’s power over evil – as a vehicle to explore intense emotional states, reflecting in the cultural obsession with the conflict of good and evil prevalent in Baroque era depictions of the spiritual and political climate across the Catholic and Protestant lands. Editor: I think too about the accessibility of drawings in this period. Although this sketch, or a painting made based upon this design may have initially resided with the Church, prints, especially by somebody as well known and prolific as Rosa, likely permeated society and were seen and held within private residences as devotional objects. Curator: Rosa's skillful utilization of basic drawing materials is striking. He extracts depth and motion in something easily disseminated to different groups and through which to communicate the Church's views of worldly woes. Editor: Ultimately, studying "Study for _Christ Exorcising a Demon_" grants us access into Salvator Rosa’s studio. It allows us to view how his labor and craft culminated in grand Baroque art. Curator: It provides unique insight to the historical, religious, and social milieu from which a history-painting originated.