Palazzo Pesaro 1983

Editor: This is John Piper's "Palazzo Pesaro," from the Tate collection. There's no date listed, but the style feels mid-20th century. It's a very textured print, almost like a sketch. What do you see in this piece, considering its historical context? Curator: Piper often depicted architectural subjects, particularly those with historical or romantic associations. His war art, documenting bomb damage, really shaped how people saw those buildings. The Palazzo Pesaro here... do you think it's celebrating the grandeur or hinting at the fragility of Venice? Editor: I hadn't considered fragility. I was caught up in the imposing facade. Curator: Exactly! Piper’s choice to depict it with such expressive, almost chaotic lines undermines the classical ideal. It invites us to reflect on the weight of history and the ever-present threat of change. Editor: That's a powerful reading. I'll never look at a Piper print the same way again.