The dead Adonis 

Curator: Welcome. We're standing before Bonaventura Genelli's pencil drawing, titled "The Dead Adonis." It's held here at the Städel Museum. Editor: My immediate feeling is one of melancholic stillness. The softness of the pencil strokes… it gives a hazy, dreamlike quality to death. The dog seems to be the only vital being in the picture. Curator: Yes, Genelli, deeply influenced by classical sculpture and mythology, often explored themes of loss and idealised beauty. The Adonis myth was a recurring subject in art, usually focusing on his tragic demise during a hunt. Editor: And look at the hound, desperately reaching over the legs as if thinking, “Wake up, let's run." The contrast with Adonis lying there, utterly still and godlike. He doesn’t seem to feel the pain he ought to feel having just been attacked by a boar! It is rather beautiful though. Curator: The drawing clearly showcases the Neoclassical obsession with idealised forms and stoicism, in art at least. Genelli presents Adonis as a heroic nude figure, referencing ancient Greek statues, despite the mortal circumstances. And look how artfully arranged is the drapery, heightening the drama while shielding his nakedness at the same time! Editor: A sensitive rendition with its subdued tone. Perhaps the nudity feels… natural, without erotic intention, fitting a tragic composition. There is that slightly turbulent patch on the right, but overall, there’s very little darkness, even the shadow on the left appears calm. Curator: One must remember the period's academic approaches to drawing, though, a study in anatomy and composition was prioritised above narrative emotion. Art academies heavily favoured classical subjects. What can feel detached to us, was then meant to display knowledge and artistic virtue. Editor: Well, even within those constraints, there's a certain tenderness, you know? Like, Genelli felt something for this beautiful corpse. It's in the almost reverent detail on the dog and in the lines, especially. Curator: Indeed. It illustrates how artistic traditions can subtly carry on different readings through ages. Editor: So, here's to bittersweet beauty and the enduring power of a loyal dog!