Jupiter and Semele 

Curator: This is Gaspare Diziani's sketch, "Jupiter and Semele," residing here at the Städel Museum. It's rendered with ink, chalk, and gouache on paper. Editor: The drama! Even in monochrome, you feel this build. I get a real sense of operatic tension and impending doom just looking at the hurried strokes. Curator: Absolutely. Diziani really captures that baroque theatricality. Semele, mortal lover of Jupiter, lies languidly, while the god descends amidst swirling clouds— a rather unfortunate celestial visit, considering the context. Editor: Unfortunate is an understatement, knowing the story! Poor Semele tricked by Juno, demanding to see Jupiter in his full godly glory. Talk about a fatal request. You can almost feel the heat radiating from Jupiter in this composition. Curator: Precisely! Diziani masterfully uses light and shadow. Notice how Jupiter is radiant while the rest of the scene wallows in shade, foreshadowing Semele's fiery end. The contrast emphasizes the celestial power about to be unleashed. Editor: And that frantic figure in the doorway, desperately gesturing – is that Juno arriving too late, or maybe one of Semele's attendants realizing the gravity of the moment? This medium suits the mythological scale so well—sketchy yet sublime. Curator: Indeed, the spontaneity of the sketch heightens the immediacy and tension. This wasn't meant to be a polished final work; it was a vibrant exploration, allowing for that rawness and emotional intensity. The ink bleeds lend a sense of instability, fitting for such an event. Editor: Looking closely at this drawing, I find myself pondering how preparatory sketches contain a raw kind of expressiveness that formal paintings sometimes miss. Curator: Exactly! We see the artist thinking, deciding, creating, rather than simply presenting. Diziani leaves us room to ponder with him, creating something truly wonderful in the process. Editor: It’s a reminder that even a brief sketch can convey immense passion, and offer the seed of what something more majestic could eventually become.