The Holy Family 1585

Editor: Here we have El Greco's "The Holy Family," painted around 1585, an oil on canvas work. I’m struck by the elongated figures and that swirling background... almost like they’re not quite tethered to reality. How would you interpret this work? Curator: The first thing that captures my attention is the raw materiality of the paint itself. Notice the textures, the visible brushstrokes. El Greco wasn’t trying to hide the means of production. He was actively engaging with the craft of painting. Editor: Yes, I see what you mean. The almost frantic way he applied the paint to create this agitated visual space. It feels very physical. Curator: Exactly. Consider, too, the economic and social contexts. El Greco wasn't just making a pretty picture. He was involved in a system, a network of patrons, workshops, and material suppliers. The very pigments he used—where did they come from? Who ground them? What was the value placed on these materials? Editor: So, it’s about understanding the layers of labor involved, even in a seemingly straightforward religious scene? Curator: Precisely. The creation of "The Holy Family" was embedded in the complex web of the late 16th century. The canvas woven, the oils extracted, each element a product of human effort and economic exchange. These elements are inseparable from our experience of the painting. We have a tendency to overlook the process as something "merely" technical but how can we seperate artistic and artisan practices? Editor: It completely reframes the way I look at it. I’ll definitely pay more attention to that tangible element in artworks from now on, thinking about how that’s embedded into history itself! Curator: Good, thinking critically about art should be an examination into how art operates on the world, the artist included.