Saint Gregory, chosen pope, recieves the adoration of the cardinals 1770

Curator: This is Simon Charles Miger's "Saint Gregory, chosen pope, receives the adoration of the cardinals." Editor: It feels very controlled, very staged, doesn't it? Almost like a play frozen in a single frame. Curator: Precisely. Miger, active in the 18th century, captures the performative aspects of power and religious authority. Consider the cardinal kneeling, the gaze of the others, the Pope's gesture. Editor: All the men in the image are almost identical, really. It's a sea of faces and robes. Is that commentary, or just the style of the time? Curator: It is definitely worth asking, given the exclusionary practices of religious institutions at the time and the clear gendered power dynamics displayed in this image. Editor: It's powerful stuff when you read it like that. The frozen play makes it even more thought-provoking. Curator: Indeed. Miger's work serves as a powerful reminder of how visual culture perpetuates and reinforces prevailing social hierarchies.