Virgin of the Sighn 1650

Curator: Here we have "Virgin of the Sign", an icon dating back to 1650, currently residing in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Editor: There’s something both stern and incredibly intimate about this work. The metallic halo against the somewhat subdued earth tones evokes a sense of ancient power, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. We should consider the physical processes that went into such a piece; how the panel was prepared, the layering of pigments, the gilding…The craft is intrinsic to understanding the work’s original function and later reception. It was not just "painted" but painstakingly made with ritualistic precision. Editor: Absolutely, and to think about that material creation is to also consider the socio-political context that produced the image, and that was subsequently shaped by the image: how the divine feminine, in its cultural and gendered construction, was deployed for purposes of devotion but also, invariably, for control. Notice the gaze--so often we see this almost challenging stare, imbued with expectations, placed on the idealized woman. Curator: A compelling perspective. Focusing on the tangible though, the types of gesso used, the precise mix of egg tempera... these would impact its longevity, the appearance of the surface. Each step is steeped in tradition and availability of materials. Did the artists innovate or hew strictly to accepted practices? The image’s preservation tells us so much. Editor: Right. It leads me to wonder about who controlled access to such objects and images, who profited and who suffered. How did different audiences respond? What were the lived realities for women, mothers, makers within that devotional structure? The Virgin becomes a site of intersectional power. Curator: In a cathedral setting such as Dormition, one can surmise about the collective labor involved in the artwork production; a team to achieve scale efficiently. Editor: So considering it together, as we approach art it’s about examining all the facets -the object itself, but the world around it. Curator: Precisely – both the touch of the human hand and the complex social systems shaping its creation.