Sts Dominic and Rosa from the Madonna del Rosario 18th century

Editor: This is an 18th-century pencil drawing titled "Sts Dominic and Rosa from the Madonna del Rosario," and its author is listed as Anonymous. It’s housed at the SMK in Copenhagen. There's something inherently humble and reverent about it, particularly in the delicate pencil work depicting the figures of the Madonna and Saint. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: The image immediately sparks questions around power, gender, and piety in the 18th century. This piece represents a negotiation of religious doctrine within a specific social framework, which could be interpreted as patriarchal and restrictive for women, but consider the agency it offered figures like the Madonna. How might representing Mary and female saints challenge or reinforce the societal power structures? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn't considered. So, you’re suggesting that even within a seemingly traditional depiction, there might be subversive readings of the female figures represented? Curator: Precisely. We often see artistic representations of devotion as inherently passive, especially regarding women. But what happens if we consider Mary not just as an icon but also a symbol of resilience, strength, and even resistance against the limited roles afforded to women? How can the act of representing her and other female saints disrupt the assumed binary of male power and female subservience within religious and social spheres? Editor: It's interesting to consider Mary as a figure of potential social influence in her own right, despite, or perhaps because of, her perceived humility. Looking at it that way, this drawing invites us to challenge our modern biases about historical female representation. Curator: Absolutely. It's about critically engaging with how art both reflects and shapes our understanding of the past and prompts new ways of viewing historical power dynamics and considering our assumptions about social roles and religion. Editor: This has been so insightful. It really changed the way I look at this drawing.