Standing Draped Man (Saint James Major or Saint Roch) c. 17th century

Curator: Up next we have Jan de Bisschop's "Standing Draped Man", speculated to be Saint James Major or Saint Roch, created around the 17th century. It resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: It looks like an apparition – something seen in a dream, rendered with these fleeting washes of ink. There is so little, but it conveys such substance! Curator: That's interesting, isn't it? This drawing uses a delicate ink wash to focus entirely on the drape and form of the figure. We think it may be preparatory work, where the focus becomes the rendering of cloth. Editor: The choice of medium says so much. The paper has a quality to it...like skin. The ink application reveals all the folds of fabric and creates a ghostly form. Did De Bisschop carefully select these materials for their symbolic resonance, aligning the ethereal nature of faith with accessible craftsmanship? Curator: Perhaps. As an academic exercise, the drawing isolates the saint’s essence, using these fluid washes to evoke his presence without literally portraying him. The medium helps create a tangible link between heaven and earth through labor and materiality. Editor: I am wondering about the anonymous labor here...we cannot overlook how works like this functioned within artistic workshops or studios, often relying on assistants for material preparation or initial sketches. Are we, perhaps, admiring a collective effort here? It's less about individual genius and more about material interactions in the artistic processes! Curator: That brings the hallowed image down to earth quite suddenly, doesn't it? And maybe, it is right, the making involved many. Ultimately, seeing it as a collaborative achievement does broaden the potential narratives of faith embedded in it. Editor: Well, seeing art this way reveals it as part of our shared material and social worlds. Curator: That's so important to remember. It transforms a singular artistic act into something more expansive and human. Thank you!