The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise 1791

Curator: Editor: This oil painting is “The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise” created in 1791 by Benjamin West. The sheer scale of it, and the theatrical expressions, make it so dramatic. I'm curious, how do you interpret this work, keeping in mind the material choices and how they might shape our understanding? Curator: Well, if we look at the canvas and the oil paint, these weren’t just materials but commodities. The bright palette and smooth finish speak to a patron likely of considerable means, allowing for high quality pigments and time dedicated solely to artistic production, a clear departure from earlier devotional paintings. It speaks volumes about West’s social position and his intended audience. Do you see the same things? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. I was more focused on the narrative aspect. The textures he created for the angel’s robe, the figures' skin - it's almost hyperrealistic. Does this level of detail reflect an idealized view of the human body tied to material access to superior art education and possibly the availability of live models, furthering a classist aesthetic? Curator: Precisely! The production itself is intertwined with social structures. This "naturalism" isn’t inherent but is produced by specific historical conditions shaped by financial status allowing for leisure time and learning the "correct" techniques for realism and an audience eager to receive it. And notice how even the landscape shifts. It's a backdrop almost fabricated from the landscape tradition that has social expectations embedded within it, not so much "divine mandate" but what West was employed to do. Editor: So, even the emotion displayed is in a way manufactured or performed to meet social expectations and the painter’s status and privilege. I'll definitely look at paintings differently from now on. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. Always remember to look beyond the surface to uncover the conditions that made the surface possible!