Sancho Panza and the Duchess 

Curator: This is Robert Smirke's depiction of 'Sancho Panza and the Duchess,' currently held at the Tate. Editor: My immediate impression is one of staged theatricality. The figures are posed, almost as if on a stage set. Curator: Indeed, Smirke, painting in the late 18th century, frequently utilized literary subjects, with Cervantes' Don Quixote being a popular source, demonstrating the influence of literature on the production of paintings. Editor: Sancho Panza, here treated as a sort of amusing jester by the Duchess, signifies the inversion of social norms, the temporary elevation of the peasant. A rather loaded symbol. Curator: Consider the material reality, though: the elaborate costumes, presumably fashioned from fine fabrics, reflecting the affluence and leisure of the aristocracy. The parrot serves as an exotic trade object. Editor: The parrot, in this context, might also symbolize mimicry and artificiality. The Duchess’s amusement feels forced, performative. Is she truly entertained, or merely enacting a role? Curator: Intriguing. The painting really brings to light the complex interplay between material culture and symbolic meaning. Editor: Precisely, both reflecting and shaping the perceptions of its time.