Brutto Buono Stoned by His Enemies 

Curator: Here we have "Brutto Buono Stoned by His Enemies," an engraving by Francesco Villamena. Editor: Well, it certainly lives up to its name! My first impression is the overwhelming sense of chaotic violence; it feels like stepping into a brutal brawl in some ancient, half-imagined cityscape. Curator: Note the baroque style. What symbols or deeper narratives resonate for you in this chaotic composition? Editor: It seems the “good and ugly” man is getting precisely what his foes think he deserves in some back-alley of Early Modern Rome, where class resentment and violent machismo reign supreme. Who was he and why was he hated so intensely? Curator: Considering this work likely originates from the late 16th or early 17th century, its potent portrayal of the victim figure surrounded by aggression feels perpetually resonant; there are echoes of martyrs and scapegoats throughout art history. Editor: Absolutely. And consider the act of stoning itself, laden with symbolic weight across cultures. From a social and political viewpoint, it seems a brutal expression of collective rage enacted by those historically silenced and now weaponizing even rubble to exercise power. Curator: Precisely, but note the interesting choice to create a wide-angle vista that showcases some rather spectacular Roman monuments at distance – perhaps Palazzo del Quirinale and also Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - as the stage for the characters' interactions? Editor: Ah yes, Rome - a city ripe with conflicts then, as it remains to this day! It serves as a reminder of the enduring, cyclical nature of urban struggles between citizens. This image speaks volumes about the city's underbelly and the human costs associated with maintaining an urban existence, the way individuals can quickly become demonized and destroyed by collective will. Curator: Seeing the stoning as a form of purification gone awry, where groupthink hijacks moral compass and humanity? What’s especially interesting to me, is that it underscores an unending question: how long is a person remembered after falling victim of hatred, regardless of their goodness? Editor: I find myself questioning: To what degree are such images instructive for social justice in the current day? It strikes me as vital to remember how mob mentality functions across time when confronting present battles. Curator: I concur, recognizing history and recurring patterns allows more agency today. Editor: Indeed; the "good and ugly" individual may just mirror anyone destroyed unjustly even today. A vital and poignant piece for reflection.