Anointment of the dead Christ 17th century

Curator: Welcome. Here we have "Anointment of the dead Christ" a bronze relief, attributed to Fra Domenico Portigiani dating to the 17th century. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Bronze casts a pallid tone. Death is obviously not pretty, but something about rendering it in the unforgiving light of bronze emphasizes its irreversible reality. You feel that the relief could be death-mask too. Curator: It’s interesting that you key into the material so readily. I'm always so drawn to how Portigiani distills narrative and deep pathos into this relatively small space, like capturing an immense feeling and pinning it down like a beautiful, sorrowful butterfly. The delicate touches amplify emotion—the downcast faces, Mary cradling her son. Editor: Indeed, but observe the process—casting death and sorrow within such an intimate setting elevates our relationship with raw material. The artist probably relied on patinas, waxes, or possibly heat treatment on the surface of the bronze that could yield some emotional cues. This isn't just bronze, it is mediated bronze meant for domestic consumption. Curator: Absolutely, and that makes me think about its accessibility too. Art can be transformative for the masses—imagine having something like this at home, perhaps to reflect and find solace. There is a real comfort to be taken from contemplating that. The arrangement of the characters feels like they're protecting Christ’s body. Editor: Comfort, yes, but also commerce! How might its affordability impact its intended message or the viewers, maybe even cheapen that sacredness or even dilute it in our everyday lives. And thinking back, bronze requires an intense industrial processes: mining, smelting, alloying...it brings an earthly realness. Curator: I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way, that sort of mundane production cycle seems oddly disconnected to what is, essentially, a monument of love, and finality. The paradox I find rather poetic! Editor: It makes you ponder on things differently for sure! The intersection between human ingenuity and mortality is so raw and so poignant, and now that I consider how these materials create that experience— Curator: We gain an almost palpable sense of closeness. It helps make it feel less like an "art object" and more a testament to life’s ever-shifting moments. Thanks!