Double Handled Urn n.d.

Giuseppe Grisoni made this drawing of a double handled urn with pen and brown ink with watercolor washes. In eighteenth-century Europe, images like this, circulating in albums and print portfolios, played a crucial role in shaping taste, dictating what kinds of objects were deemed worthy of admiration and emulation. The urn itself, with its classical form and ornate detailing, reflects the pervasive influence of ancient Greek and Roman art on European design. The Italian artist, Grisoni, was working for a British clientele who valued classical art. These patrons were interested in commissioning Italian artists to produce art objects which were in keeping with the ideals of neoclassicism. This drawing is a powerful reminder of how art objects and images can serve as instruments of cultural exchange. Historians often consult a wide range of resources, from period treatises on aesthetics to records of artistic patronage, to reconstruct the complex social and institutional contexts in which art is made and consumed.