The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine c. 17th century

Editor: So, this is Jacques Stella’s "The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The drawing has such delicate lines. How might we interpret this from a different perspective? Curator: Looking at the drawing’s creation, we see labor practices at play. Stella's workshop likely involved assistants in the repetitive aspects of drawings like these. Were the materials locally sourced? How did the availability and cost of paper and ink affect production? Editor: That's a perspective I had not considered! It moves past just the aesthetic. Curator: Exactly! Consider the social context: Was Stella responding to a specific market demand for these types of drawings? These questions ground the artwork in its material reality. Editor: I see. So, beyond the religious symbolism, it's also a product of its time, shaped by production and consumption. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: Precisely. It’s about seeing beyond the surface to understand the conditions of its making and its place in a broader economic system.