Apostel Judas Taddeüs 1712 - 1786

Curator: Ah, yes. Let's spend some time contemplating this striking image. This is “Apostel Judas Thaddäus”, an engraving from the late 18th century by Giovanni Marco Pitteri. What catches your eye first? Editor: Hmm, that solemn, almost burdened gaze. There's something incredibly heavy in his eyes; a sense of quiet suffering, I would even say. It gives you this really melancholic, almost meditative mood straightaway. Curator: I'd agree. Look at the composition—how the engraver plays with light and shadow, a trademark of the Baroque style, to emphasize that emotion. Notice the precise, almost mathematical rendering of the face versus the softer, blurred rendering of other sections like the clothes. The subject is in front of an almost non-descript and smoky background. All of that gives a formal balance. Editor: Absolutely, you've articulated that well. Pitteri certainly knew how to employ a structured approach, even if I don't care for rules much myself. There is something almost photographic in how shallow the depth of field feels as a result. But the details are what slay me—the subtle shading that gives him weight, a tangible presence. You can almost feel his pain, which is beautifully haunting, I think. Curator: I appreciate your perspective. What's truly interesting is how Pitteri, using the precise lines of engraving, conveys a painterly quality, emulating the emotional resonance often found in painted portraits of the era. It also manages to be historically fascinating while feeling contemporary with the subjects it captures. The material, like it is some recently found photographic plate, further highlights that tension in feeling. Editor: So, it all sort of boils down to this delicate interplay between formal technique and raw emotion, doesn’t it? It’s almost as though the engraving, usually so precise, allows for this eruption of feeling—of human fallibility to permeate the image. Curator: Precisely. I love when a work so rooted in tradition allows us to feel so connected, to remind us how vital it is to see beyond what the hand creates and towards how our eyes make us feel. Editor: So true, the formal allows emotion to surface. Thanks, that was a touching meditation.