Wisdom: Unexecuted Design for the Monument to the First Duke of Marlborough c. 1733

Curator: This ink and graphite drawing by John Michael Rysbrack, created around 1733, is titled "Wisdom: Unexecuted Design for the Monument to the First Duke of Marlborough." It currently resides here at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: It’s arresting how Rysbrack manages to convey such weight and monumentality with such spare, economical lines. The figure seems both imposing and graceful. Curator: Indeed. The drawing reflects the era's fascination with classicism and history painting, genres often commissioned by the powerful as a tool for legitimization and social messaging. The monument, although unexecuted, would have undoubtedly served as a symbol of British power. Editor: You can certainly see how the figure embodies “wisdom” – she’s positioned as very intellectual, with that scroll-like book, but there's also a certain softness in the drapery, a sort of approachability in the penmanship. It has this beautiful push and pull. Curator: The political dimension of the Duke's legacy would definitely have been something Rysbrack was contending with here. Think about the implications of depicting someone in public sculpture during this time and its capacity to impact socio-political narratives. Editor: Thinking strictly in terms of composition, the slightly upturned head also catches the light and draws you up along the plane of the book, keeping you oriented with the composition. Curator: Considering it never made it into marble, it makes one think about the role and status of preparatory drawings and how some ultimately possess just as much symbolic value, perhaps more so because they provide insight into an artist's process, political intentions, and creative choices. Editor: Exactly. It's the intimate glimpse that adds a completely different dimension to appreciating his craftsmanship. Curator: Absolutely. It's fascinating how this sketch provides access to a whole realm of political undertones and classical artistic influence that the finished sculpture would have lacked. Editor: The subtle dynamism in the figure combined with its grand implications truly transforms how one appreciates Rysbrack’s method here.