Cleric with Raised Arms (lower register?; study for wall paintings in the Chapel of Saint Remi, Sainte-Clotilde, Paris, 1858) 1825 - 1875

Isidore Pils made this study for wall paintings in the Chapel of Saint Remi in Paris, around 1858. It’s rendered in graphite on paper. The most prominent feature of this artwork is the cleric with raised arms, a traditional pose of supplication and prayer. Consider the institutional context: Pils was commissioned to create wall paintings for a chapel. In nineteenth-century France, the Catholic Church was a powerful social and political institution, closely tied to the state and the upper classes. Art played a crucial role in reinforcing its authority, through the commissioning of grand architectural projects and the production of devotional imagery. Pils's study reflects a conservative impulse. By depicting a scene of religious devotion, Pils contributed to the Church's efforts to maintain its social and cultural dominance. Understanding the social and institutional context of this artwork requires historical research: studies into Church records, art criticism of the time, and biographies of the artists involved. By doing so, we can better understand the complex relationship between art, power, and society in nineteenth-century France.