Two Girls and a Baby 

Editor: Here we have John Flaxman’s sketch, Two Girls and a Baby. It’s undated, and rendered simply with pencil. It feels intimate, almost like a stolen moment. What can you tell me about this sketch? Curator: Flaxman was deeply engaged with Neoclassicism, a movement that looked to classical antiquity for inspiration, particularly in its emphasis on moral virtue and civic duty. How might this drawing of domestic intimacy challenge or reinforce those public values? Editor: Hmmm... it feels more private than public, but maybe showing a tender family scene was also meant to inspire those same values? Curator: Precisely. Consider the rise of the middle class during this period, and how images of ideal family life became tools for shaping social norms. How do you think the art market played a role in circulating these images? Editor: Interesting, it shows how art can be both personal and political. Curator: Yes, and how images can be used to promote certain ideas about family.