Virgil Reading the "Aeneid" to Augustus, Octavia, and Livia 1790 - 1793

Curator: Editor: Here we have "Virgil Reading the 'Aeneid' to Augustus, Octavia, and Livia," painted between 1790 and 1793 by Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar, using oil on canvas. It has such a staged, dramatic feel to it. What's your take on this piece? Curator: My eyes immediately go to the materiality of power displayed. Think about the source of Wicar's pigments. Where did they come from? Who mined them? And the cloth—linen likely, given the time and setting—for the canvas. Who wove it, and under what conditions? It makes me consider the whole industry behind this supposed spontaneous, artistic vision. Editor: I never thought about it like that, that's interesting! Curator: And look at the architectural background, painted so deliberately to mimic classical ideals. Consider the actual construction of such buildings. This neoclassicism isn't just a stylistic choice; it's tied to very specific power structures and modes of production, and that labor often gets erased from the image we’re meant to see. Editor: So, the smooth, finished quality almost conceals the gritty reality of its making. Curator: Exactly! What looks refined actually relies on significant labor. The sculpture, those togas... How does thinking about that change your interpretation? Editor: It kind of pulls me out of the idealized scene, actually, and reminds me of the social cost involved. Curator: Precisely. We need to think critically about who benefits from these representations, and at what cost, to fully understand even seemingly simple artworks. Editor: This has shifted my perspective on neoclassical art quite a bit. Curator: Good! Seeing beyond the surface is the point.