Sketches of Voltaire at Age Eighty-One 1775

Curator: Look at this, Dominique Vivant Denon's 1775 print, "Sketches of Voltaire at Age Eighty-One." It's housed here at the Met. My first impression is how delicate and fleeting these studies seem. Editor: Fleeting, yes, a blizzard of faces. But there's something about the sheer number of iterations that lends a sense of gravitas to the sitter. A constellation of Voltarian wit! The repetition, it becomes almost like a visual mantra. What do you make of the contrast between the massed head sketches, and that single figure at the bottom? Curator: Denon clearly aimed to capture the essence of Voltaire through exhaustive study. Think about Voltaire’s immense influence—a cultural force—and then think about how portraiture cemented celebrity back then. Editor: Precisely, and consider the symbols, the wig, a signifier of status, appears almost cartoonish here in its exaggeration. Do you feel a hint of mockery, perhaps affectionate ribbing amongst contemporaries? Voltaire was quite the provocateur. Curator: I see it more as a fascination, actually, Voltaire was so admired! These sketches aren't for everyone, though. This artwork circulated among those in the elite circles. A testament to his role in shaping the Enlightenment’s intellectual landscape. This image of an aging icon became instantly fashionable among high society across Europe. Editor: Yes, his likeness becoming fashionable is spot on. And observe the hat variations; each changes Voltaire's character, transforming the icon. They’re more than studies of form; they're almost studies of identity, and the layers Voltaire presented to the world. Curator: So, for me, the image really speaks volumes about how visual imagery was vital for political discourse. It served to uphold Voltaire's role in broader socio-political debate. Editor: Fascinating how one page can compress Voltaire’s spirit and his impact on contemporary society! Curator: Exactly, so much cultural and historical narrative compressed onto a single page.