Nude studies of boys for the figures of angels in the painting ‘The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ 1864

Editor: Here we have Jozef Simmler’s "Nude studies of boys for the figures of angels in the painting ‘The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary,’" created in 1864 using pencil. They seem very fragile, preliminary sketches. What's your read on this piece? Curator: I see this not just as a preparatory sketch, but as a vital record of labor. Think about it – Simmler employed these boys, they posed, he meticulously drew. This highlights the means of production of religious imagery. What kind of exchange took place in the studio space? Editor: An exchange? You mean beyond just posing? Curator: Precisely! These nude studies were meant to be transformed into ethereal beings. What does the raw materiality of the human body, specifically the bodies of working-class children, tell us about the social construction of the "angelic"? What was the going rate for models at the time? Editor: Interesting, so you are suggesting the economic and social context heavily informs even something that seems so, well, heavenly. I guess the availability of pencil, the accessibility of paper... even these influence the creative output. Curator: Absolutely. And the choice of boys—their youth, vulnerability—impacts how we interpret the final religious work. Who was allowed to pose nude and for what considerations? Think about it - the "divine" emerges through very earthly transactions and the labor of vulnerable bodies. The paper wasn’t cheap back then either, do we know what he earned and how many studies he produced? Editor: That certainly shifts my perception. I was focused on the artistry, but the social context adds so much more depth! Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Always consider what lies beneath the surface; the production process is never neutral!