Two sculptures on pedestals 1758 - 1823

Editor: This is "Two sculptures on pedestals," created sometime between 1758 and 1823 by Felice Giani. It's a monochromatic drawing, in ink, pencil, and charcoal. What strikes me is the sort of… idealized city square, but also this slightly unreal quality from the drawing itself. What catches your eye about this work? Curator: The draftsmanship for one – the confidence of line to convey the immensity of the statues versus the diminutive scale of the people. And those neoclassical sculptures against that sort of loosely sketched cityscape! It’s a fascinating tension. This isn't a photograph documenting reality, but a carefully constructed fantasy. What do you make of the groupings on the statues themselves? Do they evoke anything in particular for you? Editor: Well, the one on the left feels… almost like a civic allegory, like Roma Dea, with the figures surrounding her representing different virtues or provinces. The other one is harder to read; maybe a royal couple? Curator: Exactly! I think you've nailed it. Giani was working during a time when Neoclassicism was all the rage, and he was very good at capturing that spirit of grand, idealized civic virtue… but always with a wink. Do you notice the… I don't know…slightly cartoonish faces on the plinths themselves? He can't resist that bit of playful subversion. Editor: So, he's embracing the style while also poking a bit of fun at its seriousness? That’s a fun tension to explore. Curator: Absolutely. It reminds me that even in the most serious-seeming art, there's always room for the artist's personality to peek through. And, if we look closely enough, for ours too. Editor: This really shows how much a drawing can say and that's not a coincidence Giani's skilled at his craft. Thanks!