Cardinal Giuseppe Maria Feroni (1699–1767) 1762 - 1772

Editor: Here we have "Cardinal Giuseppe Maria Feroni" a marble sculpture realized sometime between 1762 and 1772 by André Jean Lebrun. The detailing is striking, particularly the way the drapery falls. What are your thoughts on its formal qualities? Curator: Note the texture. Lebrun coaxes an astonishing range of tactile experiences from the marble: the smooth skin of the face contrasts sharply with the deep, almost frenzied undercutting of the drapery folds. The cascading buttons punctuate that flow and interrupt our reading of it. Editor: The undercutting you mention gives a heightened sense of movement. Were there other baroque sculptures doing something similar? Curator: Bernini's sculptures come to mind immediately. Look at "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa," the dynamism achieved through similar deep carving around the saint's robes. This creates pronounced chiaroscuro, heightening the drama. How does light play a role here in the sculpture before us? Editor: With the deep folds, there are defined shadows, really emphasizing the texture and giving the sculpture depth, even in a two-dimensional photograph. The buttons also contribute by catching and reflecting the light. Curator: Precisely. Consider the pedestal, as well. Its relatively plain surface serves to throw the figure into sharper relief and contrasts its rather still form and gives a sort of a narrative quality to the work by virtue of being different than the Cardinal figure. The planes intersect dynamically which further elevates it formally. Editor: That is interesting. It really comes together to make you focus on different parts of the sculpture! I'm looking at sculpture in a totally new light now. Curator: And conversely, I am left wondering what the sculpture might have become in an alternate location or environment. The planes are so integral to its reading and meaning!