The Vision of Joseph c. 1500

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the weight, the stillness, a frozen moment of profound internal experience. Editor: Exactly! This sculpture, "The Vision of Joseph," carved in wood around 1500 by Bernt Notke, is a wonderful example of late medieval narrative art now residing here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Curator: Narrative is right. You feel as though you've stumbled upon Joseph mid-dream, the rough-hewn details lending a visceral quality to the scene. Look at the cascading drapery, so intricately carved! It gives movement and rhythm to the work and directs our gaze. Editor: It also places him in a certain socio-economic setting, wouldn't you say? It isn’t simple cloth but it speaks to Joseph’s public standing and wealth during that time. Curator: Yes, it’s fascinating how clothing of the time both concealed and revealed social status. It serves to authenticate a familiar, biblically known character but gives a relatable and temporal experience to his being. Beyond the socio-historical reading of this sculpture, notice how much of it is focused at the top: a tangle of figures looming over Joseph. Who are these onlookers, judging perhaps or trying to lend a helping hand in what to expect? Editor: Hmm…They seem ominous. Maybe it reflects his anxiety of what to expect… Curator: Or it speaks to the pressures placed upon young men in late medieval society. We're dealing with complex symbolic structures when interpreting this artwork within a religious, historical, and gendered discourse. Editor: Perhaps all these are simultaneously true and it gives space to experience both the complexity of living and one’s spirituality. All of this, solidified into a captivating and weighty piece of art! Curator: Indeed. It reveals as much about the sculptor and the times as it does about Joseph himself. Editor: What an amazing thing about artworks – centuries melt away, inviting endless dialogue.