The Virgin 1631 - 1686

Editor: We're looking at "The Virgin," an oil painting dating somewhere between 1631 and 1686 by Carlo Dolci. The heavy fabric of her veil gives it such a somber feel. What's striking to you about it? Curator: For me, it's the very act of making, the labor invested in depicting this textile so meticulously. The oil paint is carefully built up to mimic the texture and drape of the cloth, but the real question is who was making this painting? Who bought this painting, and where would it have been displayed? Editor: I suppose I was only looking at the surface of it, at Mary. What were the circumstances for its commission, its creation? Curator: Exactly! Consider the pigment itself. Where did that intense blue-black dye come from? How was it processed? Someone had to extract it, prepare it, sell it. Each step has a worker and a method and an owner who can extract surplus value out of their production. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider how much work and commerce is layered into a single painting. I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: It also helps us look at the painting itself. Does it celebrate the exploitation that underpins such apparent piety? Is it an attempt to make amends, a salve to conscience? What do you think? Editor: It's not what I would have initially guessed about this image. Thinking about the socio-economic network really changes how I understand the intent of the work. Thank you for that insight! Curator: Absolutely! It is only by digging into the process, the materiality, that we reveal a whole new world contained within "The Virgin."