Medici Venus, after Praxiteles c. 19th century

Editor: This is a miniature "Medici Venus, after Praxiteles" by the Pichler family. It's incredibly small! How was such an iconic statue transformed into this tiny, almost intimate object? Curator: The size is key. Consider the social context. These intaglios were often collected and circulated amongst elites. Who controlled the narrative around beauty and classical ideals? Editor: So, it's about ownership and the power of representing beauty on a personal scale? Curator: Precisely. It speaks to how art and its images were, and still are, used to reinforce social hierarchies. What did you make of that? Editor: I hadn't considered the politics of its scale before, thanks for sharing that!