The Death of Brother Schroepfer c. 19th century

Editor: This is Louis Marvy's "The Death of Brother Schroepfer," and the date on the print says 1774. It’s quite a dramatic scene. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This image stages a suicide as a public event, doesn't it? Schroepfer, a figure associated with mysticism, becomes a spectacle. Consider how this performance, documented by Marvy, speaks to anxieties around Enlightenment rationality versus occult beliefs. Editor: So, it’s more than just a historical record? Curator: Exactly. It's about power, knowledge, and the policing of belief. Who gets to define "truth," and what are the consequences for those who deviate? What do you think about the landscape in this print? Editor: It's interesting how the trees seem to be both witnesses and almost complicit in the event. I never considered the sociopolitical implications of landscape art before. Curator: Seeing this through an intersectional lens illuminates the power dynamics at play and, hopefully, challenges us to question dominant narratives.