Monk (lower register; study for wall paintings in the Chapel of Saint Remi, Sainte-Clotilde, Paris, 1858) 1830 - 1875

Editor: Here we have Isidore Pils's "Monk," a pastel drawing made sometime between 1830 and 1875. It feels...almost ephemeral, a fleeting glimpse. Those reaching hands are especially striking. What do you make of it? Curator: Ephemeral is a brilliant way to put it. For me, it feels like a whispered prayer captured in pigment. Look at the almost translucent quality of the robes – a world away from, say, a David painting with every sinew defined! You feel the light filtering through them. Do you sense a kind of hesitancy in those reaching hands? They're extended but somehow fragile. Editor: Definitely. They're not grasping, more like...feeling their way. Almost like an actor reaching for an unseen presence. Is it the medium itself, the pastel, that gives it that quality? Curator: I think so. Pils used the pastel almost sculpturally, layering strokes to build form but also allowing the paper to breathe through, which enhances that ethereal feel. But also, think of Pils’ own life – a turbulent career, religious themes...perhaps that tentativeness reflects something within himself, reaching for something just beyond his grasp. Maybe a place on the academy walls or a moment in god's love? Editor: That makes so much sense! I hadn't considered the connection to the artist's biography. Seeing those 'failures' really changes my perception. Curator: Exactly. And now you are doing as well, and seeing so many new interpretations as an art historian in training. Editor: Thanks, its inspiring stuff!