Drie tafels en een ornamenteel fries met gevleugelde figuren en een adelaar 1817

Pietro Ruga made this pen drawing showing tables and ornaments, but when remains a mystery. The drawing revives the classical style, an architectural movement which reflected the values of order, reason and harmony. We can see this in the symmetrical arrangements and decorative elements drawn from ancient Greek and Roman art. Although this is just a sketch for furniture, such pieces of decoration were not innocent. Aristocratic families would show off their expensive furniture to demonstrate social status, and to reinforce power. In this drawing, there is a decorative frieze with winged figures and an eagle. These were intended to bring to mind imperial power and military strength. To understand these symbols, historians research the classical art that they derive from, alongside studies of the domestic lives of the wealthy people who owned them. Art like this reveals the social dynamics of its time.