Station of the Cross No. 4: "Jesus Meets His Mother" c. 1936

Editor: Here we have William Herbert’s “Station of the Cross No. 4: ‘Jesus Meets His Mother’,” circa 1936, rendered in watercolor. The colours are muted, but the scene itself is incredibly raw and emotive. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is the blatant contrast between the spiritual narrative and the tangible process of its making. The layering of watercolor, a traditionally ‘craft’ medium, to depict such a significant religious moment...it almost democratizes the suffering, bringing it down from the divine and into the realm of everyday production. Editor: That's interesting. So, you’re seeing the material and process as informing the meaning itself? Curator: Absolutely. The artist’s hand is present in every brushstroke, in the deliberate choice of a less “precious” medium. Consider the social context: a time of economic hardship. Did the choice of watercolor reflect material constraints? Was this accessibility part of the work's intended message to viewers also experiencing similar privations? Editor: That hadn’t occurred to me. The limitations of the materials reflecting a broader economic reality, it humanizes the piece further. I guess it challenges this divide we often create between 'high art' and the materials that constitute lived experience. Curator: Precisely. How does the accessibility of the watercolor shape our reception of this otherwise ‘lofty’ subject matter? Editor: It makes it relatable. It suggests universality. So even in religious artwork, analyzing the material conditions is paramount to fully understand a piece. Thanks! Curator: And that relation extends far beyond the canvas, impacting all aspects of life. An interesting lens indeed.