Saint Apollonia of Alexandria 1600 - 1700

Curator: Before us is Saint Apollonia of Alexandria, a drawing made sometime between 1600 and 1700. The medium is charcoal, I believe. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: I’m struck by the gentle melancholy radiating from her expression. She holds those instruments… Are those pincers? And is that a tooth? It gives me the chills. Curator: Precisely. Apollonia's attribute is, indeed, a pair of pincers holding a tooth, symbols of her martyrdom. She was, as you may know, the patron saint of dentistry. Note how the draughtsman employs layered washes to construct the drapery and imbue the figure with a sense of weight, anchoring her form despite the fluidity of the medium. Editor: There’s a certain looseness, almost unfinished quality that really speaks to me. It feels intimate, like glimpsing a private moment of contemplation rather than witnessing a formal portrayal. She looks like she's just pondering what she would wear later. Curator: An astute observation. One could interpret the unfinished quality as indicative of the artist's process—a sketch rather than a finished modello. The lack of rigorous refinement, interestingly, provides a greater degree of freedom with expressive possibilities for those tonal gradations. Editor: And there’s a haunting, almost photographic quality, which really draws me into her story. Considering that it wasn't possible to make an exact copy by then makes the process seem mysterious. The contrast adds to the emotional gravity. Curator: Indeed, that contrast reinforces her divine aura. Through considered mark-making, an evocative narrative unfolds. Editor: She seems to float, a very strong character rendered with a soft charcoal medium, isn't it wonderful? It brings something tragic. What a powerful and affecting portrayal. Curator: A worthwhile meditation, indeed. One could say the composition itself embodies a dichotomy: the corporeal made ethereal.