Plafondschildering in de parochiekerk van het stadsdeel Wilten in Innsbruck, Oostenrijk before 1893

Curator: Look up! This print showcases a plafondschil-ding—that's ceiling painting— located in the parish church of Wilten, part of Innsbruck, Austria. Editor: Whoa. My neck already hurts, but in the best way. It’s like gazing into another dimension, swirling with stories, or maybe just clouds shaped like dramatic myths? Curator: Precisely. The engraving before us replicates a large-scale Baroque mural, placing the viewer directly underneath its dynamic composition. It would have been made before 1893. Editor: Baroque! Makes total sense. All that grandness, the curve of the forms—it’s like walking into a history book where everyone is wearing fancy robes and floating. Though, seeing it flattened here kind of mutes the impact; I bet being in the actual church, with that vast open space above, would be completely overwhelming. Curator: The use of quadratura, the technique of illusionistic painting creating the sense of soaring height and expanded space, aimed to dissolve the architecture. In terms of critical theory, this manipulation can be considered as representative of ecclesiastical institutions looking to promote certain ideologies and obscure, let’s say, social inequities through aesthetic grandiosity. Editor: So basically, using art to wow people into submission? Still, I can appreciate the sheer craft. Look at how densely populated this simulated heaven is! So much drama, action... but maybe too much? Like trying to cram every religious tale into one single frame. Gives you a headache AND makes you question your place in the universe all at once. Curator: And the engraving process itself contributes to how the imagery can be interpreted. The print, produced from metal, is distanced, in both production and consumption, from the painterly affect. But the composition speaks volumes about historical narratives of faith, patronage, and power… It leaves so many questions in its wake. Editor: Yeah. A postcard from another reality, carefully designed to remind you who’s in charge... but I'd love to visit that ceiling one day. Curator: A testament to how much historical narratives linger in even the most gilded artworks. Editor: Cheers to that. Art as spectacle and history. I love thinking about the relationship between viewers and these monumental images.