Saul bei der Wahrsagerin von Endor 6 - 1857

Curator: So, here we have Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld’s "Saul bei der Wahrsagerin von Endor," an 1857 engraving, etched with ink on paper, depicting a scene from the Hebrew Bible. Editor: Yes, the drama jumps out at me! It’s almost theatrical – Saul looks completely defeated. What's going on here? Curator: Think about power, desperation, and forbidden knowledge. In this scene, King Saul seeks the Witch of Endor to conjure the prophet Samuel, because God has abandoned him and he needs guidance before a battle. The summoning and apparition destabilize normative boundaries and social hierarchies: how are gender and power being portrayed? Consider the Witch's agency, often demonized yet here crucial. Editor: I see it…the witch, conjuring spirits to counsel the king! It challenges typical patriarchal structures, doesn't it? What are those skeletons in the background, then? Curator: Good eye. Skeletons can represent both the spiritual realm summoned by the witch and premonitions of death looming for Saul and his army, especially considering the conservative expectations around governance and power. Consider too, how the portrayal of spectral beings and the consultation of mediums were sometimes ways of voicing anxieties surrounding changing social orders and scientific advancements during the mid-19th century. What societal fears might this image be reflecting? Editor: Wow, I never thought about how art can reflect society's anxieties in this way! So this piece can be read on one hand a cautionary tale and on another as potentially subversive? Curator: Precisely! Its narrative offers many points of entry to historical power dynamics and gendered expectations, reflecting anxieties that continue resonating today. Editor: I’ll never look at biblical scenes the same way again! Curator: That’s the aim. Always keep questioning and digging beneath the surface.