Piazza Nettuno, Bologna 

Editor: This watercolor, "Piazza Nettuno, Bologna" by William Parrott, presents a bustling Italian square. The monument anchors the scene, but the people and marketplace give it life. What symbols or cultural echoes do you find in this work? Curator: Consider Neptune, not merely as a god of the sea, but as a symbol of power, virility, and control. His placement amidst commerce, the lifeblood of a city, suggests a fascinating intersection. How might his presence shape our understanding of Bologna's identity? Editor: So, Neptune isn't just decoration. He represents the city's strength and maybe its ambitions? Curator: Precisely. And the fountain itself, a gathering place, becomes a stage where daily life and grand narratives intertwine, each informing the other. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. Thanks for pointing out the depth of this seemingly simple scene. Curator: My pleasure. It's in these layers of symbolism that art truly speaks across time.