Christ Crowned with Thorns c. 17th century

Curator: This etching, "Christ Crowned with Thorns" by Jacques Callot, crams so much drama onto a small stage. It's barely four by eight inches! Editor: It feels vast though, doesn't it? The architectural setting dwarfs the figures, amplifying the cruelty of the scene. It's like watching a play of power unfold. Curator: Precisely! Callot was a master of perspective. The architectural backdrop isn't just set dressing. It implicates institutions – the unseen forces allowing this violence. Editor: It also reminds us how these Biblical stories function as narratives of political and social control. Who gets to watch? Who is being watched? Curator: And who wields the power of the gaze? In the balcony, distant observers mirror our own position as viewers. Editor: Callot understood how to make us complicit. It's a chilling reminder that these power dynamics persist, reproduced in endless variations throughout history. Curator: Yes, this small print is a powerful, and disturbing, window into our own world. Editor: A truly unsettling mirror.