The Virgin Mary with the Christ Child and the Infant Saint John the Baptist 

Editor: Here we have "The Virgin Mary with the Christ Child and the Infant Saint John the Baptist" by Vicente Juan Masip. It's an oil painting, and even in a digital image, you can see the texture. It’s quite intimate. What's your interpretation of this piece? Curator: For me, looking at the Masip painting, my first thought goes to the means of production. Oil paint itself was becoming more refined, allowing for these smooth, almost porcelain-like skin tones. Think about where the pigments came from. Who ground them? Who prepared the canvas? These materials were luxury items. Editor: So the materiality speaks to its value. Curator: Exactly! The very cost of materials signified status. And it raises questions about labor, too. The production of this artwork involved many hands, most of whom are lost to history. How does that change our understanding of authorship? We focus on Masip, but who truly "made" this? Also, note the Virgin's clothing, rendered in such expensive, vibrant colours - this reflects both earthly status and heavenly symbolism Editor: That's fascinating, I hadn't thought of it that way, I was busy looking at their halos! Curator: It's easy to be drawn to the surface, but under the veneer, consider what was involved in its manufacture. Where was it destined to hang? Whose wealth supported it? And for whom was the subject being elevated to near Godly status, for their continued patronage and power in society? These details all underpin its meaning. Editor: I see it now - that the making of the work, including material origins and human input, really shaped its purpose. Curator: Precisely. It's about unraveling the threads of production and social power that are embedded within the painting itself.