Kneeling Magdalene 19th century

Curator: Well, this is certainly…striking. The first thing that jumps out at me is the rather pronounced distress etched on the face of this ceramic figure. Editor: Indeed. This piece, entitled "Kneeling Magdalene," dates back to the 19th century. Crafted by Barthélémy de Blénod, it offers a compelling glimpse into the visual culture surrounding religious figures during that period. Curator: Glancing at its ceramic make-up and its high gloss glaze, I am led to thinking how material speaks to spiritual condition: her glossy shroud contrasts with the stark whiteness of her skin; it makes her seem somehow preserved, almost like one of those devotional figures one would find on alters to guide you towards penance. This sculptural object also has something eerie, and it’s exacerbated by the inclusion of a small skull at its base! Editor: And that juxtaposition of the sacred and the macabre, the ethereal and the grounded, plays right into the sociopolitical currents that shaped religious imagery in 19th century art and performance: religious plays, reenactments of the crucifixion… These often provided avenues for popular engagement. These ceramic objects helped extend religious themes into more private, domestic settings, for one's personal reflection. Curator: And, tellingly, isn't it quite theatrical? Those robes…they're less like the practical garb and more akin to some kind of a costume. In looking more carefully, I notice what must be an oil jar and that tiny skull - reminders, maybe of what one takes from Earth to the realm beyond? How were they even fashioned with clay into something so evocative, almost hyperrealistic! The skill needed! The social position granted to be in those making trades? Editor: The role of the ceramic factory is also noteworthy here. How this medium enabled this type of devotional art to reach wider audiences – less like fine sculpture and more like mass-produced image for everyday use. But there's also that tension between the perceived authenticity of devotional feeling and the actual, often exploitative labor of ceramic manufacture… that speaks to tensions surrounding industrialization in the period. Curator: The economic reality, perhaps, underpinning the very possibility of producing this…iconic piece. A collision of market demands with religious feeling. Thank you. Editor: Thank you; those collisions often tell more than a polished surface alone ever could.