Saint in Ecstasy 1613 - 1699

Curator: Looking at Mattia Preti's "Saint in Ecstasy," created sometime between 1613 and 1699, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one is struck by the sheer dynamism captured through what appear to be ink and pen. The swirling clouds, the saint's pose, and the angels above—it’s quite evocative. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: The drawing gives me a sense of the baroque love for drama. The way the saint’s figure is positioned—kneeling and looking up, with arms outstretched toward the heavens—conveys this incredible moment of spiritual intensity, like the whole world disappears and the divine is all that matters. Curator: Preti was deeply engaged in depicting emotion. Here, we can appreciate his approach by looking at the lines themselves—notice the contrast between the defined figures and the loose, almost frantic scribbles forming the clouds? How does this construction speak to your perception? Editor: It's about using materials to suggest different layers of reality and fantasy. Pen and ink work perfectly here, cheap to obtain but extremely demanding and skillful. Consider too that this was probably intended to plan for something bigger. The work suggests it's part of a whole system of production in his workshop, part of a grand artistic-religious enterprise to reach new markets. It hints at his labour and working conditions too. Curator: Absolutely, the materials speak to that creative journey, while the forms give structure. This emphasis creates balance, if somewhat theatrical, between earthy existence and divine experience. Note that Baroque artists aimed for clarity—can we appreciate this within Preti’s artwork? Editor: If you are concerned about clarity then notice the details of his clothing - his rough garments emphasize the saint's humble, terrestrial origin, which he must escape via heavenly ascent to find the eternal divine that has so rewarded him. What does the symbolism mean in today's art marketplace, the social meanings we derive from its labour? Curator: Interesting how you emphasize process; what is ultimately intriguing is how form interacts with faith, to evoke wonder and reflection. What do we agree is Preti’s goal? Editor: I believe Preti tried to merge our reality with artifice, commerce and faith—he created something greater. We see his life here through labour. Curator: For me, he was trying to visually express profound faith, a visual language. We shall reflect more as we step away.