Temple of Minerva Medica, plate twenty-five from the Ruins of Rome Possibly 1798

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Temple of Minerva Medica, plate twenty-five from the Ruins of Rome" possibly from 1798, by M. Dubourg. It’s a print made with watercolor, showing the ruined temple set in a verdant landscape. Editor: Oh, wow. The overall mood is melancholic, a bit ghostly even. It’s romantic in the most dramatic sense – ruined grandeur meeting overgrown nature. Makes me think of empires fading, beauty persisting even in decay, that whole shebang. Curator: Indeed. You can see Dubourg’s print production. He utilized watercolor as a means of achieving detailed reproductions efficiently. Prints were circulated and collected, thereby transforming the perception and commodification of cultural heritage through popular images. Editor: Right, because if someone important didn't see it as a *print,* it barely existed. I get the appeal – a pocket-sized ruin. The human figures really accentuate the scale; we have people walking nonchalantly by as history looms right behind them. Sort of ironic, isn’t it? We, now, gaze from centuries later. Curator: Yes, consider how the process of reproduction impacted perception. Mass produced images helped solidify this view of Rome as a place for romantic and sometimes desolate ruin contemplation, therefore also spurring its own form of industry. It speaks of changing patterns of consumption around cultural imagery at this time. Editor: So it's less about Minerva and more about... tourism? Still, that hazy rendering of the dome’s collapse—that *is* rather fetching. Sort of dreamy, even while depicting rubble. Gives a sense that time isn't linear or straightforward. The trees and overgrowth feel very present, pushing up against the ruins. Curator: Well, precisely. And how is this consumption framed? Here, a sublime scene can also be replicated and possessed. Watercolors in print also lowered the barrier to owning artistic visions, altering their role in class and cultural spheres. Editor: I think I appreciate the artist leaning into both grandeur and the slightly pathetic, broken-down aspect all at once. I feel ready to be a melancholy poet... at least until I’m hungry! Curator: Thank you. That provided a broader appreciation of Rome's history and the rise of visual image consumerism through prints and watercolor.