Altaarstuk van zwart marmer in de Sint-Waltrudiskerk in Mons, België before 1887

Editor: Here we have an image of the black marble altarpiece located in the Sint-Waltrudiskerk in Mons, Belgium, dating back to before 1887. The relief sculptures contrast starkly against the dark marble. What are your thoughts on the composition? Curator: Note the emphatic verticality. The architectonics structure of stacked tiers is reinforced by a rhythm of pilasters and sculptural panels. The relationship of base to capital within the pilaster structures is of interest. Are the figural representations strictly contained by architectural form, or is there an intentional breaching? Editor: It seems they’re intentionally integrated. Do you think this impacts the overall harmony? Curator: Harmony is perhaps too simplistic a reading. Note the stark contrast between the cool, austere marble and the dynamic, almost frantic, energy of the figures. This dissonance prevents sentimentality and instead invites an inquiry into structure. How do you read the positioning and scaling of figures within each panel? Editor: Some figures seem more prominent. Curator: Indeed. It creates a hierarchy that directs the viewer's gaze, shaping narrative flow. Notice how light and shadow play across the sculpted surfaces, articulating the figures and adding depth. The architect utilizes high-contrast monochrome to achieve a certain legibility to narrative that would not necessarily hold in fully polychrome form. Editor: So the success relies not just on the sculpting but also on the light interacting with it? Curator: Precisely. Without the carefully orchestrated play of light, the formal relationships would become less clear, impacting the overall visual impact and interpretation. I would enjoy the chance to spend an hour meditating in the presence of this. Editor: I hadn't considered the light's role so thoroughly before. It makes me want to view it in person! Curator: Indeed. And for myself I wish to now consider the narrative construction. Is there an inherent tension between the narrative structure and the support thereof?