Design for the Setting of a Classical Statue; and a Farewell Scene, Figures in Classical Costume. ?Sophocles 

Curator: Here we have a drawing by John Flaxman, titled "Design for the Setting of a Classical Statue; and a Farewell Scene, Figures in Classical Costume". It's held at the Tate Collections. Editor: Oh, it feels intensely fragile and vulnerable. The spare lines, the slightness of the figures... it whispers of loss and reverence. Curator: Flaxman, who lived from 1755 to 1826, was deeply immersed in classical themes. This sketch probably relates to his designs for sculpture or even theatrical productions. Notice how the top scene presents a statue almost as a deity to the crowd. Editor: Yes, it's like the statue is receiving their adulation. And below, that farewell scene... the figures intertwined, it suggests the human cost of grand narratives. It's a raw emotive juxtaposition. Curator: Flaxman was working during a time of revolution, a period that loved the grand spectacle. Editor: A moment that also understood sacrifice, which Flaxman understood too. Both scenes, grand and intimate, capture those feelings perfectly. Curator: A quiet reflection from a time of great social upheaval. Editor: Yes, a beautiful pairing of private grief and public spectacle, rendered so delicately.