Plate 9: The Pulley: a man and a woman conversing to right, a lantern hung on a post to left, from "Les soirées de Rome" 1763 - 1764

Hubert Robert created "Plate 9: The Pulley" as part of his series "Les soirées de Rome." It's an intimate scene, etched with fine detail, showing a man and woman in conversation against the backdrop of a Roman evening. Robert, living through the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, often depicted ruins and everyday life, reflecting on time, change, and human presence. Here, the grand pulley and lantern contrast with the quiet exchange between the figures, inviting us to consider their stories within the historical landscape. Are they discussing the demands of labor, or something more intimate? The print offers a glimpse into gender roles and class dynamics of 18th-century Rome. The woman's posture, the man's attentive stance, and the labor implied by the pulley system all speak to the complex social fabric of the time. Robert captures a fleeting moment, making us witnesses to a world both distant and familiar, where personal histories unfold against the grand narrative of history.