Miracle of the Host n.d.

Editor: This drawing, "Miracle of the Host," attributed to Jan van Scorel, uses ink and chalk on paper, it's currently at the Art Institute of Chicago. The blue ink gives it such a serene, almost dreamlike quality. I'm curious, what strikes you most about this piece? Curator: What grabs me is the tension between the high-minded narrative of a miracle and the very grounded act of its production, look at the process. Chalk, ink, paper—relatively common materials, handled with skill to depict an event believed to be divinely inspired. How does the use of these specific materials, readily available within the socio-economic conditions of the time, shape our understanding of the ‘miracle’ being depicted? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn't considered the accessibility of the materials. So, are you saying the miracle itself becomes, in a way, democratized through its representation? Curator: Exactly! Think about the labor involved in producing this print. Was this a solitary act? What role did workshops or assistants play in bringing van Scorel's vision to life? By understanding the social context of its creation, we can see how artistic production, like religious belief, was embedded in a network of human interaction and exchange. It isn’t just about divine intervention; it is about a human story, the materiality of belief. Editor: That shifts my focus quite a bit. I was initially caught up in the subject matter, but now I see it as evidence of workshop practices, artistic collaboration and available resources. Curator: Indeed, what are our modern-day equivalencies of those processes, where we attempt to bridge the so-called 'sacred' with a constant stream of reproducible and relatable media? Editor: That makes me rethink how I approach not just Renaissance art but how any art is made. I need to start digging into the “how” as much as the “what”. Curator: Precisely. The materiality is key to the narrative.