Exit From The Loge Of The Opera 

Editor: Jean Béraud’s "Exit From The Loge Of The Opera", an oil painting, captures a moment of Parisian high society. What strikes me is the emphasis on the opulent textiles and fabrics of their clothing; what do you make of it? Curator: This painting is rich in information about the modes of production of the clothing. Notice the intense detail dedicated to rendering of lace, velvet, fur, the very *stuff* of status in that era. Can you imagine the labor involved in creating and maintaining these garments? Editor: It does highlight the craftsmanship… but I hadn't considered the social implications tied to it. So, beyond the pure visual pleasure, are you suggesting Béraud directs our attention to this often-overlooked element? Curator: Precisely. Béraud, by meticulously rendering these fabrics, draws attention to the material conditions that enable this display of wealth. How were these materials sourced, produced, consumed? The painting prompts us to think about class divisions. Who benefits from this system, and whose labor makes it possible? Editor: It’s almost as though the clothes themselves are the subject. I see them in a completely new way now; less like simple ornamentation and more like evidence. The oil paint meticulously simulates this surface. Curator: Exactly. The *oil paint* itself becomes complicit! It imitates, it represents, and it solidifies the presence of these materials. Even the impasto adds another tactile, materially-oriented layer to the viewing experience, as it literally bulges the surface in small areas. Editor: That’s fascinating. I will certainly look more critically at not only *what* is depicted, but *how* and *why* it's represented, thinking about material and production. Curator: A materialist approach lets us unpick the stories behind the surfaces we so easily consume, to expose these critical relationships of making and class that form the backbone of the painting itself.