Madonna in Wolken, verehrt vom Erzengel Michael und dem Heiligen Petrus 

Editor: So, this is "Madonna in Wolken, verehrt vom Erzengel Michael und dem Heiligen Petrus" by Carlo Caliari, currently at the Städel Museum. It looks like it's an ink drawing on paper depicting the Virgin Mary with what I assume is baby Jesus, flanked by Saint Michael and Saint Peter. There’s something really striking about the weightiness of the figures compared to the lightness of the wash. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This drawing, for me, speaks volumes about the socio-political role of religious imagery. Consider the period; visualizing the Madonna and Saints wasn’t merely about devotional practice. How might this imagery have reinforced specific power structures, particularly regarding gender and religious authority? Editor: That’s a really interesting point. I guess I was so focused on the aesthetics I didn’t consider how Mary and these Saints are portrayed as these almost unattainable figures…almost like propaganda? Curator: Precisely. Note Saint Michael, armed, strong. And Mary, idealized as mother. How might these archetypes have shaped expectations and controlled social behavior of those who viewed it? Can you see the symbolic meanings embedded within this configuration, the power dynamics playing out through the poses, the gaze, even the composition itself? Editor: I see what you mean! Especially juxtaposed, they portray what society deemed to be 'good', but these figures might reflect more insidious concepts, too. Curator: Absolutely. By deconstructing this image, we expose how art serves not just as reflection but also as active participant in constructing reality. Editor: Wow, that totally shifts my perspective. I am going to consider art through that point of view from now on! Curator: Examining artwork with these intersectional views can truly highlight different viewpoints.