Design for Suspended Censer 1652 - 1725

Editor: Here we have Giovanni Battista Foggini's "Design for Suspended Censer," made sometime between 1652 and 1725, using ink. It’s currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There's such fluidity in the design... How would you unpack the elements in this piece? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the process. Look at the confident ink strokes, indicating a mastery of the medium. Foggini wasn't just designing a censer; he was showcasing the capabilities of drawing itself as a form of production. The use of ink suggests accessibility; it's a readily available material. How might this affect our perception of 'high art' versus everyday craft? Editor: That’s interesting. So, are you suggesting the choice of ink democratizes the art form, blurring lines between functional design and fine art? Curator: Precisely. Consider who would have been consuming such designs. Were they primarily for wealthy patrons, or were they disseminated more broadly, influencing other artisans? Furthermore, what kind of labor went into producing censers? Understanding the socio-economic context, the labor involved, gives us a more comprehensive picture than simply viewing this as a beautiful drawing. Editor: I hadn't considered the wider implications of material and access like that. It gives a fresh context to this otherwise straightforward object. Curator: Absolutely. Analyzing the materiality, and understanding the processes behind its conception, can reveal broader social dynamics. The censer itself may have represented a certain level of luxury, but the drawing itself… the *means* of representing luxury… That speaks to access and artistic process. Editor: Thanks. It definitely opened up a different perspective on the purpose and impact this Baroque design may have had.