The Volto Santo of Lucca 1500 - 1600

Editor: Here we have an interesting ink drawing from sometime between 1500 and 1600, "The Volto Santo of Lucca." It’s an etching, looks like pen and ink on paper. All these angels give it a light, floaty feel, but also a bit eerie, like a dream. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: That dreamlike quality is a wonderful observation. To me, it feels almost like looking at a devotional blueprint, a construction of faith rendered in lines. The Volto Santo itself, that ancient wooden sculpture of Christ, becomes a kind of architectural centerpiece. Did you notice how it’s surrounded by these cherubic onlookers? Editor: Yes! They're so… earnest, almost chubby-cheeked, each one a little different. It is almost like they were copied from different models. Curator: Perhaps! And consider this: Each tiny face represents a fragment of belief, each carefully etched line a testament to the power of this relic. Do you see how the angels frame Christ? I imagine it is like the faithful gathering around their object of worship. And the overall effect? An incredibly personal act of devotion made visible. It almost makes you wonder, doesn’t it, what specific prayers, dreams, and worries might have been poured into it? Editor: It really does. I came in expecting a historical object, but it feels so much more intimate now, like a whispered conversation with the artist’s soul. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! It is funny to think, that looking closely might lead to feeling something universal. Thanks for noticing and for sharing.