Angelica Resting at a Fountain n.d.

Giuseppe Bezzuoli made this ink drawing entitled, *Angelica Resting at a Fountain,* at an unknown date. It depicts a scene of quiet contemplation but also speaks to the shifting status of women in 19th century Italy. Bezzuoli was a prominent academic painter in Florence, attached to the court and committed to the revival of grand manner history painting. Yet, he also demonstrates an awareness of the changing social role of art. This drawing, based on a popular romantic poem, is a reminder of art’s crucial role in shaping contemporary attitudes toward women and the debates about their place in the public sphere. Angelica is shown passively resting at a fountain with her horse, embodying vulnerability. To fully understand Bezzuoli’s work, we need to examine both the formal conventions of academic art and the social and political context in which he was working. Only then can we understand how his art both reflected and shaped the society around him.