Drie cherubijnen 1748

Curator: This delightful watercolor painting from 1748 is titled "Three Cherubs" and comes to us from the hand of Gerard Sanders. I'm immediately drawn to the tender rendering of these figures, the subtle use of the wash to build up their forms. Editor: There’s a striking delicacy to it. The pastel hues and wispy wings suggest innocence and ethereal beauty, yet the almost puffy, solid faces contradict this effect with an underlying, very human character. Curator: Absolutely, the Rococo style lends itself to these contrasts, the painter explores this fine balance of ethereal grace and genre painting to humanize sacred iconography. Sanders appears interested in exploring ideas around perception and status. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider this piece in relation to the societal structures of the time. Was it a commentary on the elite, portraying them almost as cherubic but with a touch of playful satire in their puffy visages? Curator: Certainly a valid reading, bearing in mind Sanders worked with various mediums including chalk and also mastered miniature portraiture in ivory. How does this knowledge reframe your impression regarding labor and cost involved in these types of artwork during 1700s? Editor: Knowing the use of costly ivory gives us better insights into the commissioned status for such works as visual displays of wealth and a sophisticated European culture influenced by elite French courts. This shifts from just aesthetics, to a more material consideration and a display of power, of that time, I believe. Curator: It’s quite remarkable how materials can speak volumes, isn't it? This work transcends pure aesthetics and becomes an indicator of production systems as a materialization of elite class. Editor: Indeed, Sanders work shows to us art always functions as a complex marker shaped by prevailing social norms, commercial factors and artistic visions of each particular time.