The Celestial Steps 1807

Editor: So, this is John Flaxman's "The Celestial Steps." It's quite small, just a little drawing, but the scene feels so grand and otherworldly. What do you make of it? Curator: It's like glimpsing a dream, isn't it? Flaxman had this way of stripping away the unnecessary, leaving us with the bare essence of an idea. Look at those figures ascending; do they seem burdened by earthly concerns? Editor: Not at all. They seem weightless, floating almost. Curator: Exactly. And the steps themselves? More like Jacob's ladder than a solid staircase, wouldn't you say? This piece feels like a meditation on spiritual ascent, on shedding the mortal coil and reaching for something beyond. Editor: I see that now. Thanks, that really opened my eyes. Curator: Mine too, thinking about it with you.