Design for a Frieze with Two Putti holding a crown over the letter, 'L' (for Louis XIV?), Plate 3 from: 'Decorative friezes and foliage' (Ornamenti di fregi e fogliami) 1645 - 1650

Editor: Here we have Stefano della Bella’s, *Design for a Frieze with Two Putti holding a crown over the letter, 'L'*, likely for Louis XIV. This ink drawing, dating back to the mid-17th century, feels so detailed, almost ornate, with all these swirling vegetal forms. What stands out to you? Curator: Ah, Stefano della Bella! With the swirling, vegetal forms, this image transports me straight into a Baroque dreamscape. It is a dizzying ballet of cherubic figures and lion-like sphinxes framing that grandiose "L", probably indeed for the Sun King, Louis XIV. Imagine this gilded and blown up and applied to architecture... Do you get a sense of theatricality from it? Editor: Absolutely. It’s like a stage design. I guess I hadn't fully grasped just how embedded art was in political messaging and power. The details are just bonkers! Curator: Bonkers indeed! And it's more than just power. Consider the placement. A frieze is high up, near the ceiling. What does placing symbolism there tell us? What does it make us do as viewers? Editor: Hmmm... It makes us crane our necks, literally looking up to the idea of royalty, but also symbolically looking *up to* that power, seeing it as something to aspire to, right? Curator: Precisely! Power elevated, quite literally! It's these subtle layers that make della Bella's seemingly simple design so compelling, don’t you think? A tasty morsel of potent messaging disguised as decoration. Editor: Definitely! I’ll never look at decorative art the same way again! Seeing it as more than ornamentation but as potent messages baked right in… amazing.