The Sacred Wood Cherished by the Arts and the Muses (detail) 1889

Curator: Here we have Pierre Puvis de Chavannes' "The Sacred Wood Cherished by the Arts and the Muses," created in 1889 using tempera and gouache. It strikes me as an idealized space. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The pale, muted tones create a sense of tranquility, almost dreamlike. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, considering the social context of the late 19th century, this work becomes very interesting. The materiality of the tempera and gouache – often associated with preparatory sketches and craft – elevates the “sacred wood” out of the heavy industrialism of the time. It also challenges the hierarchy of art materials. De Chavannes seems to suggest that spiritual and artistic enrichment wasn’t exclusively the domain of high art, produced with costly materials. Editor: That's a good point! I hadn't considered how the materials themselves play into the meaning. The choice to use these readily available, more accessible media...is he perhaps democratizing the artistic experience, or at least, pointing to where it truly springs from? Curator: Precisely. By depicting the muses amidst these figures, seemingly ordinary in their classical garb and setting, doesn’t he challenge the notion of divine inspiration as something exclusively reserved for the elite? It implies creativity is born from simple, tangible resources accessible to many. How does this relate to labour, materiality and consumption of arts, compared to paintings of the time? Editor: Thinking about production, paintings at the time tried to hide any trace of labour, while "The Sacred Wood" is honest in its technique. The painting favors matte pigments; therefore it does not allow the spectacle of the market, it becomes anti-consumption. I can see this would allow for a more equitable access to arts and its labor... Curator: Yes, this work questions the value system that was being produced and reproduced in academic art practices. It invites us to rethink these relations as well. What will you be taking away from today? Editor: This painting demonstrates how materials and artistic practices, not just subject matter, can carry significant meaning, especially when examined within their specific historical and social contexts. Curator: Indeed. A great starting point to question existing paradigms!