Choir stall panels 1718 - 1787

Curator: My first thought is: these ladies are holding up more than just architecture; they’re shouldering history! Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at are segments from choir stall panels, crafted between 1718 and 1787 by Johann Justus Schacht. These wooden panels are masterpieces of carving, a form of decorative art hailing from the Baroque period. They reside at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: Baroque. The word itself feels heavy, luxurious. You see it here—the intense detail of the woodwork, the implied drama... But look closer; those almost casual poses of the figures! It's an interesting contrast to all the pomp. Almost irreverent? Editor: I appreciate your observation. What fascinates me, and reinforces the piece's structural elegance, is how Schacht deployed symmetry and repetition. The figuration anchors the composition while the wood's inherent textures adds warmth and invites detailed inspection. Curator: Textures tell such a story, don’t they? Imagine the hands that polished this wood, the songs that echoed around it for decades... Makes me feel part of a chain, linked through craft and creativity across centuries. Each of these women look as if they have some secret from all of it! Editor: Quite right. The juxtaposition of the sculpted figures with the detailed inlay—consider, especially, the architectural depictions in the lower panels. Curator: The level of ornamentation is astounding, it feels maximal. Makes one consider the patrons—imagine the status such decoration afforded! Also, is that some ivory inlaid in places? Adds a touch of ethereal contrast with the dark wood. Editor: Indeed, it’s a fine example of how formal elements – texture, structure and theme—convey a more encompassing aesthetic and historic context. Curator: It certainly moves you; beyond structure and material, it evokes a deep well of admiration, and wonder about the world that created it. Editor: Agreed. Schacht offers a window into not only craft and skill, but into the intricate dynamics between art, power, and devotion.