The Queen of Heaven 

Curator: Oh my, look at that throng of cherubic faces. They all look like they’re trying to get the Queen’s attention—a right royal celestial scrum, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Indeed. Here we have Gustave Dore’s “The Queen of Heaven,” a compelling drawing, likely from the late 19th century, done with pen and ink, and transformed through photography. It plunges us into the dizzying depths of divine hierarchy. Curator: It’s overwhelming, right? Almost unsettling. Like being caught in a cloud made of eyes. What do you think all these supplicants are asking for? Are they asking for divine grace? A parking space in paradise? Editor: Considering Dore's broader body of work often explored themes of societal power dynamics through religious iconography, these cherubs could symbolize the masses yearning for some form of intervention from higher authorities, not necessarily just in a spiritual context, but perhaps a social one, as well. Curator: Oh, that is clever. They're all craning, looking up with a mix of hope and desperate need. Makes you wonder what kind of queen she is, sitting up there so serenely. Benevolent ruler, or just… distant? Editor: Right, the passivity coded into her posture opens so many potential readings. Think about this image in light of the Marian cult that bloomed in the 19th century in the French cultural context; that is, a figure onto which one projects fantasies of absolute refuge and unconditional care. Her silence might not signal distance but a sort of knowing quietude. Curator: Interesting. Knowing what it really means to hold such heavy hope in your lap. I keep coming back to this sense of drowning in… well, light and potential salvation, I guess. Dore's hatching work gives that sense of an oppressive brightness. It's intense. Editor: I agree. The stark black and white amplifies this sense of high-stakes appeal and infinite longing, revealing both the promises and potential pitfalls of seeking authority. What would freedom consist of in a space like this? Curator: What a question to meditate on, really! Editor: That is Dore's mastery—placing you at a crossroads where the divine meets the deeply human, forcing us to confront not just our aspirations, but also the uncomfortable realities of faith, power, and perhaps, the ever-present hunger for something just beyond our reach.