Half figure of a woman sitting 

Editor: So, this is “Half figure of a woman sitting,” an engraving, maybe from the 1700s, by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It depicts a woman holding a baby. I immediately feel this gentle gravity and formality that just doesn't exist in art today. How would you describe the impact of this print? Curator: Gentle gravity, exactly! Piranesi truly captures a Baroque sensibility in this print. The dramatic play of light and shadow – those dark, etched lines defining the folds of her robe and her pensive brow! He’s taken the solid form of sculpture and breathed a transient soul into it. And look how lightly she holds the child. More like she’s showing him to the world than cradling him. What do you think that conveys? Editor: Hmm, it's almost like the child is an object to be viewed? Perhaps I'm being too harsh! Curator: Not at all! Remember, many artists and engravers studied history painting and often worked from sculptures they considered masterpieces from the past. I would venture to say Piranesi admired her resolve and devotion as much as her maternal aspect. Can you see how he contrasts her strength with the infant's vulnerability through their gazes? She's looking outward while the baby seems to cling. Editor: That’s a great point, I see the tension there. It's like she is devoted, but to something much bigger than this one child. Curator: Precisely! Now, if this print could speak, what do you imagine it would tell us? Editor: Maybe it would say: Strength isn’t always loud. That you can be devoted to history. I can now see a lot of Baroque influence. Curator: Indeed! And that quiet strength, beautifully rendered in line and shadow, can resonate through centuries.