Resurrection 1917

Curator: Eric Gill's wood engraving "Resurrection" presents an intriguing scene. The dimensions are a modest 140 by 89 millimeters. Editor: Stark. The high contrast creates a sense of drama, almost like a stage set, but also a claustrophobic mood with all those dark bricks. Curator: The medium is central here, isn't it? Gill's choice of wood engraving emphasizes the linear qualities, reducing the narrative to essential forms, almost like a blueprint. Editor: And those forms are steeped in symbolism. Mary Magdalene, haloed, finding the empty tomb. The inscription above, "Gloriam vidi resurgentis" suggests triumph, but her downcast gaze tells a more complex story. Curator: It does speak to the tension between the spiritual and the material. Consider the labor invested in carving this small block, the repetitive act of revealing the image. Editor: The empty shroud becomes a powerful icon, though. Stripped of its contents, it signifies absence and promise. Curator: Perhaps the act of repetitive creation mirrors the enduring cycle of belief itself. Editor: I see it as a stark reminder that even in triumph, loss and questioning linger. Curator: A curious confluence of the spiritual and the crafted, indeed.