Adoration of the Magi 1856

Editor: So this textile work is titled "Adoration of the Magi," created in 1856 by Alfred Buquet. The imagery feels quite dense, a whole story unfolding across the fabric. What strikes me most is how the narrative of the Magi is rendered in such a…domestic medium. What are your initial thoughts on this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider the material history of this textile. We see "high" religious subject matter rendered through a distinctly “low” medium like textile. How was this fabric produced? Was it block-printed, a labor-intensive process? Was it intended for domestic use—curtains, upholstery— bringing a sacred scene into everyday life, potentially blurring the lines between the divine and the quotidian for the consumer. Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn't considered the production aspect and its relation to accessibility. How does its creation affect its reception? Curator: The textile’s potential mass production invites us to question who had access to this kind of imagery. Was this intended for the wealthy? How did it impact how the "Adoration of the Magi" story was understood by the wider public who had more access to textile than painting? Considering the labour that went into it adds another dimension too. Editor: So the choice of textile isn't just about aesthetics, but also about its production and who gets to experience it? It highlights the relationship between materials, labor, and access in the 19th century? Curator: Exactly. By examining the materiality and production of this textile, we shift the focus from the elite world of "fine art" to the wider social and economic context in which this image circulated and was consumed. Editor: I'll never look at textiles the same way! Thinking about the labor and access… it really changes how I see this work. Thanks for pointing that out.