Adoration of the Christ Child 1515

Editor: Here we have Correggio's "Adoration of the Christ Child," an oil painting from about 1515. I’m really struck by how the darkness sort of envelops everything, and how the artist used the figures of Mary and the infants. What do you see in this piece? Curator: From a materialist perspective, I see a calculated performance of devotion facilitated by specific pigments and the economic realities they represent. Consider the deep blues likely achieved with lapis lazuli – a pigment historically more expensive than gold. Its presence here isn't simply aesthetic; it's a deliberate display of wealth and patronage, inextricably linking the spiritual narrative with socio-economic power structures. How does the use of costly materials influence your perception of the scene's sincerity? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn't thought about it in terms of the cost of the materials themselves adding meaning to the scene, but it definitely puts the piece in a different light. Curator: Precisely! And consider the underpainting. The rough preparation, visible through thin layers of oil, reveals the workshop processes and the division of labor that brought this vision to life. It wasn't just Correggio; it was an entire system of artisans contributing to the creation and distribution of this religious image, intended for very particular consumption patterns of a select group. How does the painting act as both a sacred scene and a commodity? Editor: So it’s like, the spirituality is almost inseparable from the economics of creating and possessing something like this at that time? I guess I hadn’t really connected the dots that way. Curator: Exactly. Seeing art through a materialist lens compels us to ask: who benefited from this representation, and how did its production solidify existing hierarchies? This lens gives us a really interesting glimpse into the past. Editor: It's definitely given me a lot to consider when I look at other Renaissance paintings. I now understand how social context can influence an artist's materials and that the materials inform meaning. Thanks!