Statue of a Standing Roman Woman (The Roman Album); verso: View Near the Ponte Molle 1775 - 1780

Editor: So, this is Jacques-Louis David's "Statue of a Standing Roman Woman," part of The Roman Album. It’s a pen and brown ink drawing. I’m struck by its simplicity, almost like a preliminary sketch. What do you see in this piece, especially considering David's later Neoclassical works? Curator: It's crucial to consider David’s social and political context. This drawing embodies a fascination with antiquity, yes, but what does it mean to revive these forms? Does it challenge the monarchy? Who did the classical refer to in the late 18th century? How did it exclude women artists? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't considered the way classical ideals might reinforce gendered power structures. Curator: Precisely. And how does David's later work either challenge or perpetuate these structures? Editor: I'll definitely be thinking about that relationship between form and power moving forward.