Preparatory Studies for a Female Caryatid. Verso: Sketch 

Editor: This is Thomas Stothard's "Preparatory Studies for a Female Caryatid," its date is unknown. It's a pencil sketch of several figures, some holding what looks like vases on their heads. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Consider the paper, the graphite, the labor involved. Stothard was producing designs for reproduction, not "high art" objects. How does the industrial context of printmaking affect our understanding of his artistic choices and the consumption of his images? Editor: So, it’s not just the art itself, but how it was made and used that matters? Curator: Precisely. Think about the social function of these caryatids - supporting architecture - and how that relates to Stothard's support of the printing industry. It's all interconnected. Editor: That's a very different way of looking at it. Thanks!