Edwy and Elgiva n.d.

Curator: "Edwy and Elgiva," an undated print by Clarkson Stanfield held here at the Art Institute of Chicago, rendered in ink on paper. A rather hushed scene meets the eye, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: It’s interesting how the monochromatic palette really mutes any sense of pageantry. It is almost like peering into a historical photograph capturing an illicit encounter rather than a coronation. The architecture looms, suggestive of both power and constraint. Curator: Absolutely. Consider the narrative. The image portrays the ill-fated King Edwy of England. He married Elgiva, who was his cousin, which flew in the face of canonical law and angered the Church significantly. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, forced them to separate and exiled Elgiva. The placement of the Bishop in the piece looms above, signaling a pervasive patriarchal eye. Editor: That act of power by the archbishop has real reverberations down the line, in how women’s choices have historically been constrained. The act of coronation here takes on a diminished role, subjugated as it is. We see how institutional power intersects with personal lives. Her very lineage becomes a battleground. Curator: Stanfield captures this tension masterfully through composition. Look at how Elgiva and Edwy are huddled together, nearly cast in shadow. The looming architectural details act as oppressive reminders. He manages to weave personal drama and institutional power, showcasing how the personal is so often shaped by forces beyond immediate control. Editor: Considering what this says about historical perception is interesting to me. We see England, at this time, navigating legal boundaries; and through a presentist lens, we also see echoes of contemporary discussions around identity, power, and acceptable behavior, don't we? There’s an undercurrent of queer theory at work. Curator: It certainly gives one a lot to unpack, not only with the artwork itself but the many forces which play in the sociopolitical themes represented in Stanfield's drawing, like love, acceptance, and faith. Editor: A powerful meditation on power, repression, and forbidden love. Thank you for illuminating this moment of contested history and the ongoing reverberations of societal control and desire.