[title not known] Verso: Compositional Sketch 

Editor: Here we have John Flaxman’s "Verso: Compositional Sketch" from the Tate Collections. It’s a pencil drawing, and I find the many figures scattered across the page quite intriguing. What's your interpretation of this sketch? Curator: Flaxman operated within a Neoclassical framework, deeply influenced by Enlightenment ideals. This sketch provides a glimpse into the artistic process, revealing how Flaxman worked through ideas, likely for a larger composition. Consider the public role of such drawings – were they meant for the artist's reference, or for wider circulation within artistic circles? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn’t considered the intended audience. It makes you wonder how the meaning shifts based on who is viewing it. Curator: Precisely. And the lack of a definitive finish also opens it up to different interpretations and speaks to the politics inherent in image-making. I think it highlights the social life of art. Editor: I see. It’s really fascinating to consider how even a preliminary sketch engages with broader historical and social contexts. Curator: Indeed. It forces us to question the role of the artist and the evolving purpose of art itself.