Studies for a Sculpture with Figures of Prudence, Industry and Economy Supported by Slaves and an Oval Plaque with Cartouche; Separate Study for a Cupola (Recto). Studies for Figural Ornament (Verso). 1652 - 1725

Giovanni Battista Foggini made this sketch for a sculpture with figures of Prudence, Industry, and Economy, supported by slaves, sometime between 1667 and 1725. Executed on paper using pen and brown ink, with brown wash and graphite, it is a study of form and allegory. The sculpture it plans has a clear social message, where enslaved figures literally carry the weight of virtue and commerce. It's a glimpse into the worldview of the time. The skill in Foggini’s draftsmanship speaks to intensive training, reminiscent of the workshops which defined artistic production in the Baroque era. These institutions weren't just about art; they were about transmitting knowledge and maintaining social hierarchies. Foggini himself, as court sculptor to the Medici, occupied a privileged position within this system. In studying this drawing, we are able to see the connection between artistic skill, social structures, and the stories that societies tell themselves. It reminds us that art, even in its preliminary stages, is never divorced from the world in which it's made.