The Clergy of Rome Paying Homage to St. Gregory after His Investiture 1715 - 1765

Editor: This is "The Clergy of Rome Paying Homage to St. Gregory after His Investiture" by Carle Vanloo, made sometime between 1715 and 1765. It looks like it's pen, charcoal, and possibly some colored pencil on paper. It strikes me as very theatrical. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Considering the materiality of this drawing, and the probable printmaking purpose given Vanloo's career, I'm interested in the mechanics of image production at the time. Pen and charcoal are relatively inexpensive materials. The potential for mass production through prints meant these images, depicting a specific historical moment, could be widely distributed. How does that impact the message it conveys? Editor: So, the *medium* became the message? Distributing the image far and wide makes the narrative more important than, say, the artist’s individual touch? Curator: Precisely. The reproductive nature of printmaking makes me consider this less as a singular art object, and more as a commodity. The act of paying homage becomes a distributed idea. Editor: So, are you saying that it’s not just a scene, but a promotion of papal authority, cleverly distributed through relatively cheap, reproducible means? The Church as brand? Curator: Yes, absolutely! Vanloo wasn's simply depicting history. The materials used allowed for a carefully manufactured message of religious and political power to be disseminated. It becomes less about individual artistry, and more about efficient message delivery, using readily available materials. What do you think? Editor: That's fascinating. I never thought about the choice of materials in terms of accessibility and distribution of imagery. I'll never look at drawings the same way again.