Prayer n.d.

Curator: Before us is "Prayer," an ink drawing on paper by French artist Rodolphe Bresdin. Though undated, its stylistic elements align with Bresdin's broader oeuvre. The piece is currently held here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: It feels... unfinished. Like a memory sketched in haste. The line work is raw, almost frantic, creating a striking contrast between the architectural rigidity and the fluidity of the praying figure. Curator: Bresdin operated in a 19th-century France grappling with massive social and political upheavals. His work, and especially drawings such as this one, reflects a gothic sensibility, indicative of a time rife with anxiety about modernity and religious authority. The drawing evokes medievalism to potentially serve a political and nostalgic longing for a return to simpler times, a trope employed throughout 19th century French art, Editor: Look how he renders the light though, all with these scribbled marks. It falls rather dramatically across the figure, pulling focus from the very linear tomb or altar that she is praying at. Is it meant to sanctify or overshadow? And I am intrigued that Bresdin utilizes such a heavy handed cross hatching technique for the architecture to build depth of shadow. It almost obscures the windows. Curator: The setting itself plays a critical role. Churches had deep social significance. Consider who might be given leave to kneel at an alter? Who are they praying for, why here in this elaborate architectural place of privilege. Was Bresdin making some comment about wealth, religious standing, and devotion? Or about loss, humility, repentance. Editor: There's a tension here, though, in this sketch, between devotion and alienation. Her form almost melts into the lines of the chapel floor as she appears so small against the gothic arch behind. It also suggests movement, like breath – the work is quite emotive even for an unfinished study. Curator: I agree. The image really compels a powerful range of socio-historical and emotionally relevant considerations of life in Bresdin's time. It encapsulates much about the artist and about the social milieu of 19th-century France. Editor: Indeed. Bresdin makes interesting formal choices in his creation of 'Prayer,' its roughness seems quite purposeful. These sharp contrasts elevate this unassuming pen and ink study into a profound and thought-provoking visual and aesthetic statement.