Christ in Glory 1660

Curator: Well, this painting just sweeps you right up, doesn’t it? So many bodies, ascending and adoring... Almost makes you want to convert! Editor: It's hard to miss the dynamism! This is Mattia Preti's "Christ in Glory", created around 1660, painted with oils. The artist sets Christ against a throng of saints. It makes a case, doesn't it, for the ecstatic nature of belief itself? Curator: Oh, ecstatic is the word! The way he uses light! All that pearlescent skin practically glowing against those swirling, smoky clouds. He really sells the otherworldly feeling. Editor: The interesting thing for me is the historical backdrop. This was painted during a period of intense religious fervor. Consider the counter-reformation and the rise of Baroque art that was employed to sway opinion and emotion. It almost functions as propaganda, if we think about it. It presents a hierarchical view, with Christ and his angelic court above, literally elevated. Curator: Propaganda, huh? Maybe. But even if it is, it’s *gorgeous* propaganda! It almost seems more celebratory. And a touch, just a touch, melodramatic... look at the angels and their gestures. Still... all of that humanity crammed into heaven, craning their necks, pleading to join the club! What a crush! The scene is just bursting with faith. Editor: You see a heavenly aspiration. But I look at this piece, with its hierarchy, and can’t help but read it as a statement about the Catholic Church's power, a very clear, organized chain of command and moral authority in painting. Note, how Preti doesn't shy away from portraying them in a dynamic and almost, sensual manner... but that's the baroque, always appealing to the senses to deliver a religious message. Curator: Ah, a skeptic! Still, Mattia Preti's made a believer out of *me*—at least for a little while. Editor: The dialectic of faith and power always returns to challenge my views. Thank you for bringing your perspective, truly.