Aurora in Her Chariot n.d.

Curator: This piece really pops, doesn't it? I see this flurry of motion frozen in time, almost as if the artist captured the essence of a sunrise itself! Editor: That's quite the poetic reading. We're looking at "Aurora in Her Chariot" by Joseph François Parrocel. It’s difficult to place an exact date on the work, but what strikes me immediately is the swirling baroque energy rendered so meticulously with pen, ink, and wash on paper. The materiality of the paper really contrasts against the light color that permeates throughout the subject matter. Curator: See, that's what I love! It feels raw and spontaneous, yet undeniably elegant. This whole drama unfolding in sepia tones... Editor: Yes, and note how Parrocel structures the composition. Aurora, the goddess of dawn, leads the chariot, which itself is more like a suggestion, carried by what I think we can agree is the winged horse of the dawn with her tiny torch bearing attendant. Everything leans diagonally, guiding the eye. What do you think is the intent? Curator: The diagonal makes my heart race, the horses wild mane... I'm instantly brought into the energy. I bet this captures Parrocel's own rising, perhaps. Some inner drive propelling him towards his art, with maybe the torch as a reminder of diligence, like a studio light always on. Editor: It could symbolize so many things. One could also propose, thinking of classical tropes, that Aurora leading the dawn acts as an allegory for the triumph of reason and order over darkness and chaos, which were frequent philosophical interpretations for subject matters and figures similar to that of this particular print and the time it was produced. Curator: I feel you! And I wonder about those blooms cascading down her shoulder, perhaps these represent potential? An awakening creativity that blossoms, maybe, within the artistic space. This ink blot blooms with artistic fire, you know? Editor: Indeed. Well, there’s clearly much to unpack here. It reveals new qualities upon each pass. Curator: A whirlwind of lines and sepia dreams, always shifting in the morning light, or whichever perspective you prefer. It is now one of my favorites, personally!