A Standing Apostle 18th-19th century

Editor: Here we have John Skippe's "A Standing Apostle." It's undated, but the sepia color gives it a somewhat aged feel. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: I'm interested in the printing process Skippe employed. The sepia ink itself signals a consciousness of historical techniques, perhaps an attempt to emulate earlier printmaking traditions. How does that materiality inform our understanding of the apostle's figure? Editor: I guess it makes him seem less divine and more human, like a craftsman or laborer himself. Curator: Precisely. Skippe’s choice of a more accessible medium, like printmaking, and that sepia color democratizes the image, bridging the gap between the spiritual and the everyday through its very means of production. Editor: That's a good point; it moves him away from being just a religious icon. I hadn't considered how much the material itself could change the reading of the image.