Buste van Christus, door P. Puget c. 1875 - 1900

This photograph was taken by Médéric Mieusement, sometime between 1840 and 1905. It shows a plaster bust of Christ. Plaster is a humble material, of course; it is made by burning gypsum, then grinding it into a powder, and mixing it with water. Inexpensive and easy to cast, it's been used for centuries as a stand-in for marble or bronze. However, plaster also has a frangible, delicate quality that is hard to ignore, and is easily destroyed. This quality resonates with the figure being represented. Christ, the son of God, but also a man who suffered deeply. Mieusement has captured a sense of both strength and vulnerability, making us consider not only the subject, but also the material in which his likeness has been captured. The photograph creates a sense of tension between the artistic skill involved in creating the sculpture and the more workaday, yet alchemical, process through which plaster is produced. This reminds us that no matter how elevated the subject, art is always the product of labor.