Bedelares met kind before 1768

Curator: Welcome. We are standing before "Bedelares met kind," or "Beggars with child" by Simon Troger, dated before 1768. It’s a compelling baroque sculpture fashioned from wood. Editor: Wow, that hits hard. She's so vulnerable, yet there’s a quiet strength in her posture. The gaunt face and ragged clothes, you know, they tell a story of hardship etched in every groove. It is difficult to witness something like that. Curator: Indeed. Notice the artist’s deliberate use of contrasting light and shadow to accentuate the contours of her face and clothing. The linearity in the cascading tears of wood around her, creating a sort of halo, further draws us in to examine the condition of this woman. What about the figure on her back, almost like an angel. Editor: I love the term cascading tears, what a poetic, elegant phrasing. It gives a movement to the work. But that child seems… detached. Almost more like an extra weight, a stone she carries along, more than part of her. The sculpture hints at burdens unseen, societal neglect maybe. And this walking stick of hers seems both support and weapon, no? It can fend danger off...but also signal hardship. The question is: did Troger mean to idealize such a vision, to simply show what happens, or something more complex. Curator: The intentional juxtaposition of poverty and implied religious iconography through that almost angelic infant suggests a commentary on charity, on those often overlooked in society. Considering the historical context of Baroque art with its ornate detailing and theatrical displays, Troger subverts expectations. He simplifies, perhaps challenging the social norms of his time. Editor: He simplifies while being ever-so complex, it’s this contrast that I am starting to admire so much. This woman's clothes reveal just as much as they cover! It brings a raw immediacy to the piece... and makes me question my role as observer. We observe this figure but, at what expense. Is it just entertainment, or a real questioning about values. Curator: Yes, an acute observation. The raw materiality of the wood itself speaks to the harsh realities faced by the underclass, prompting introspection on the viewer’s own position. Editor: A thought-provoking dance between observer and observed then. It brings so many thoughts... Troger achieves a poignant moment frozen in time. This is far from what its mere materiality represents!