Cocktail Caucus 

Dan Graziano made this painting, Cocktail Caucus, using oils to give us a snapshot of a social scene. The painting presents a bar, stocked with bottles, in front of which two men stand, their attention drawn to a large, colourful painting on the wall behind the bar. What might this painting mean? It depicts figures in what seems to be Renaissance-era garb, suggesting wealth and privilege. The title, Cocktail Caucus, hints at power, and the sense that something important, perhaps even secretive, is being discussed. It is impossible to ignore the social commentary, which suggests that access to positions of power is often hidden behind closed doors. Paintings such as this one invite us to consider who has access to power and how social institutions such as bars, clubs, and even art galleries play a role in maintaining existing social structures. As a historian, I would need to research the artist's other works, and the period in which this was painted, to better understand its position within a wider cultural conversation.