Emperor Augustus and the Sibyl c. 16th century

Editor: Paolo Veronese, around the 16th century, with "Emperor Augustus and the Sibyl," likely in oils. It strikes me as so grand, so theatrical... yet there's something oddly vulnerable about Augustus's pose. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Vulnerable indeed! Perhaps because Veronese captures a Roman leader brought low, acknowledging an otherworldly authority in the Madonna overhead and presented by the Sybil! It’s a fascinating push and pull, isn’t it? Divine revelation versus earthly power... like the world holds its breath awaiting the answer. I also can't help but be seduced by that play of architectural forms...are you following that drama, those arches that suggest mystery? Editor: Yes! It almost feels like a stage set! And that little glimpse of a Madonna figure nestled into the architecture... it adds such an unexpected layer! Curator: Exactly. Veronese uses all this baroque staging to set the scene for faith and destiny to play their roles. But how real do you feel these characters are, the protagonists in this grand drama of old becoming new? Editor: I think that maybe there are people like us… a regular student or curator happening to be on an adventure! It feels timeless. Curator: Precisely! You feel invited to consider, just as Augustus must have, what awaits us all on our own, unknown paths! What a world to imagine ourselves into! Editor: This feels like I have been thrown in this setting. Like a historical drama or movie almost... Curator: So much we see around us started in settings such as the ones here, with Veronese allowing the curtain to rise before our very eyes.