Head of Christ 1510 - 1563

Editor: Here we have Andrea Schiavone's "Head of Christ," created sometime between 1510 and 1563. It's a drawing, an ink print on paper. I am immediately drawn to the somber mood, amplified by the brown ink. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: This head, framed so ornately, almost looks like a devotional object lifted straight from someone's private collection. The oval surrounding it feels reverential. Schiavone really captures the kind of inward, contemplative gaze that makes you wonder what thoughts are swirling behind those eyes. The material--the humble ink on paper--speaks volumes, don't you think? It is reproducible but offers this quality of instant intimacy. Ever feel like some images look straight into your soul? Editor: Absolutely. It's as though he’s looking past us, into something deeper. Curator: Right! And consider this wasn't just an image, but a printed image at a time where printmaking was booming. These heads were circulating. Suddenly the figure, Christ in this instance, is everywhere – personalizing belief in a really groundbreaking way. Now, do you get a sense that Schiavone saw himself in the artistic tradition? Editor: It makes me think that Schiavone was actively trying to make this a popular, rather than personal image, of Christ. A really accessible icon. Curator: Precisely! He is inserting himself, his version of devotion, into the world in an exciting way. This really brings Renaissance ideals alive in ways a fresco locked inside a palace simply can't. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about – thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Art is never finished being discovered; isn't that marvelous?