St.Filomena 1898

Curator: Today, we’re looking at Pasquale Celommi’s painting "St. Filomena," created in 1898. The medium is oil on canvas. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the somber mood. The figure reclines with a gentle stillness, but the arrow piercing her chest immediately conveys suffering. It is almost romantic. Curator: Indeed. Examining the material choices can provide some context. Notice the use of oil paint and the relatively dark background. This allows Celommi to create an almost dreamlike vision of the Saint, evoking feelings of transcendence and a reverence for the figure represented. Look closer to her feet and the textures on her clothes, rendered in paint in a particularly tactile fashion, highlighting artisanal processes from dress-making to art-making in an intriguing way. Editor: For me, the most captivating element is the halo made of roses that rests atop the Saint’s head. It directly references her sanctity. Then, consider the arrow - a direct symbol of martyrdom - piercing her, causing wounds, while white flowers float ethereally in the background near her head like a kind of ascent into some spiritual plane. This painting feels full of meaning beyond its initial somber impact. Curator: I think it’s key to remember how Celommi likely sought specific pigments and prepared the canvas itself, all contributing to the painting's longevity. It shows us, still today, how making artworks also means working on an artwork's extended material afterlife. Editor: Absolutely. When we delve into the symbolism, we connect with enduring narratives of faith and suffering. These images and symbols are preserved through careful choices in the use of pigment, medium, and display choices over long periods of time, to tell their own kind of truth. Curator: True, there's a link between Celommi's methods, choices, and labor to convey certain beliefs, through visual methods but using matter nonetheless. It enriches my understanding to analyze those processes as deeply as its subject. Editor: Yes, looking closer to this painting helped clarify how historical images hold their meanings.