The Resurrection 1755 - 1765

Editor: Here we have "The Resurrection," a watercolor drawing by Louis Lagrenée, created sometime between 1755 and 1765. It has a slightly theatrical quality, almost like a stage set. What grabs you when you look at this, something about the Baroque style, perhaps? Curator: Theatrical is spot-on! I'm drawn to the swirling energy. See how Lagrenée doesn't just depict the event, but the feeling? The drama practically leaps off the page – heaven and earth colliding in a glorious burst of light and pastel hues! I love how it feels unfinished, ephemeral. Doesn't it remind you of a half-remembered dream? Editor: It definitely has a dreamlike quality, maybe due to the soft watercolor medium. All those figures are almost dissolving into each other and the background. Why use such a 'soft' medium for such a bombastic scene? Curator: Maybe he understood something profound. Life, even in moments of transcendence, can be fleeting, insubstantial. Watercolour perfectly embodies that impermanence. Notice also the colour - it looks so soft but it emphasizes dramatic effect by suggesting rather than screaming "look at me". It's the whisper before the roar! Editor: The whispering roar of faith! So it is a pretty intimate, almost contradictory portrayal. Curator: Precisely! It challenges us to find the extraordinary within the ordinary, to embrace the messy, unfinished beauty of it all. Think about what 'resurrection' really means: an opportunity to do and be better - or perhaps something else altogether different to what came before. It's not an end. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way; it is almost more of a 'restart' than just going back to before. It really expands my understanding of how Baroque art is capable of delivering deep emotion and reflection. Curator: Indeed. Next time you’re feeling stuck, remember Lagrenée’s "Resurrection"—let it be a gentle reminder to embrace your own glorious, imperfect, watercolor existence!