The Resurrection of Christ 1535 - 1619

Curator: Oh, this is “The Resurrection of Christ” by Denijs Calvaert, dating roughly from 1535 to 1619. It’s a charcoal drawing, currently residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It leaps out, doesn’t it? All movement and drama. I am struck immediately by the contrast; above we have ethereal light, a triumphant figure almost floating, and below: chaos and dark shapes, with figures seemingly trying to clamber out of the very paper. Curator: That dramatic chiaroscuro is quintessential Calvaert, wouldn't you agree? He plays with light and shadow not just for aesthetic reasons but to convey a really visceral sense of the divine breaking through the earthly realm. There is an emotional and physical jolt—we’re meant to feel the event! Editor: Absolutely, and look at the way he uses charcoal here, you can really feel the push and pull. The thick lines that delineate Christ almost give way into these hazy swathes for the celestial parts. One really has to understand materiality to see that the process here mimics the actual event of breaking out. Did Calvaert make the underdrawing with chalk perhaps, before going over it in charcoal? Curator: Quite possibly! His process would absolutely have involved underdrawings. His workshop was well-known and he certainly knew what materials and techniques gave certain aesthetic affects. He also wasn't afraid of a bit of drama, artistically speaking, was he? And also religiously, the painting is also imbued with the same emotional intent. Editor: Right, and by choosing drawing, specifically charcoal, over say oil paint, he's also making a statement about accessibility and immediacy. I wonder what type of paper he used? I suspect this piece would be originally designed for mass circulation in print. It challenges those traditional barriers, high art, religious and low cost art and printmaking. Curator: It becomes something personal for the viewer—not an unreachable symbol in some vast cathedral, but something intimate, handheld, even. This work allows one to truly think what one thought and not feel what the artist wanted me to feel... Editor: Agreed! Examining the materials brings a deeper resonance to his art and gives way to so much more contemplation. I had forgotten its raw emotive energy!