Three separate studies for the miracles of the loaves, showing Christ standing in different positions surrounded by a large crowd; from 'Recueil d'estampes d'après les plus beaux tableaux et d'après les plus beaux desseins qui sont en France, Cabinet Crozat' after drawings by Perino del Vaga 1724 - 1744

Editor: This print from the mid-18th century, "Three separate studies for the miracles of the loaves," after Perino del Vaga and engraved by Anne Claude Philippe Caylus, shows the same scene rendered three different ways. The composition looks light and airy, almost unfinished, and I'm struck by the repetition of the story. What do you make of this work? Curator: The layering of iterations is exactly what sings to me, it is like the artist, Caylus, is channeling Del Vaga’s ghost. I get a feeling for his *process* in those varied treatments of a single, divine moment. History painting could be really prescriptive then – what do *you* see happening as the artist makes these creative choices? Editor: Well, each section seems to focus on different aspects of the story. The composition shifts, the characters interact differently, almost like exploring alternative realities of the same event. It’s fascinating to see the artist grapple with the narrative! Curator: Precisely. It’s a quest to define not just *what* happened, but the *essence* of that generosity. I see Caylus is using these variations, echoing Del Vaga's hand, to try and pin down the heart of faith itself – its messy, complicated miracle, rendered intimate by paper and graphite. Don't you think? Editor: Yes! Seeing these separate studies together lets me consider the artist's thought process. Each little etching offers a slightly different angle on the miracle itself. Curator: A miracle in triplicate, where the study itself *becomes* the story! And who knows… maybe a loaf multiplied just for us, right here, right now, in front of the drawing. Editor: Absolutely. It's like having a peek inside the artist's mind, witnessing their creative struggle and finally, that… sense of awe.