Angel with the star of Bethlehem 1850 - 1924

Editor: This is "Angel with the Star of Bethlehem" by Hans Thoma, created sometime between 1850 and 1924. The celestial imagery gives it a rather mystical and serene feeling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a visual echo of the deep social and spiritual anxieties that permeated Europe during that period. Consider the rise of industrialization, the challenging of traditional religious beliefs, and burgeoning nationalist sentiments. This angel, bathed in ethereal light, becomes a figure of hope, a visual resistance to the encroaching darkness, both literal and metaphorical. What does the positioning of the angel suggest to you? Editor: It feels like she is emerging, or perhaps ascending, into this dark, starry expanse. Almost as though offering light, or some kind of solace. Curator: Exactly. Think about the traditional role of women, often relegated to the domestic sphere. Now imagine this angel, defying those constraints, taking on a powerful, almost prophetic role in the cosmos. Doesn't that disrupt the conventional power structures that dictated society? Editor: Absolutely, reframing the feminine as a source of strength and guidance, which pushes against those traditional societal boundaries. I hadn’t really considered that. Curator: These symbols offer space for reassessment. What are some modern equivalents that you see? Editor: I think contemporary art uses similar symbolism all the time now to deconstruct assumptions, to explore complex topics. It shows how powerful artistic statements can still be. Curator: Agreed. I leave this with a broader point of thought that perhaps as consumers, we may also reflect upon the power of images as visual and symbolic resistance in the contemporary world.