Pope Saint Gregory I Frees the Souls from Purgatory with His Prayers 1731

Editor: We're looking at Francesco Fontebasso's 1731 ink engraving, "Pope Saint Gregory I Frees the Souls from Purgatory with His Prayers". It's quite a busy scene! My initial impression is how dynamic and turbulent it seems, like a flurry of figures caught in mid-air. What stands out to you in this work? Curator: You know, that's a fabulous reading! It feels almost as if Fontebasso’s needle was possessed! The chaos is entirely the point. Consider Baroque sensibilities: the dramatic diagonals, the *sturm und drang*. Look at how he uses swirling clouds – both compositional device and, really, emotional shorthand. It is more than just showing – it's *feeling* the release from purgatory. Do you see how he uses light and dark to emphasize the saint’s divine intervention, the kind of miraculous salvation? Editor: I do now! The stark contrast definitely adds to the drama. But how much of this dramatic interpretation would have resonated at the time? Curator: Oh, intensely! Religious art in the Baroque period, my dear, was all about *feeling* God, really grabbing you by the collar, theatrically showing both agony and ecstasy, with angels and the saved lifted in triumph. Fontebasso would expect the viewer to understand both Saint Gregory’s story *and* the glorious release from torment that his prayer offered, don't you think? What do you feel looking at that? Editor: Definitely a strong sense of release now that you point it out! It's as if the lines themselves are bursting upwards, carrying everyone along. Curator: Yes! The energy lifts off the page. A rather hopeful reflection on faith, isn’t it? Editor: It really is. Thanks for opening my eyes to see it that way!