Portrait of Berta Hassler 

Editor: This marble sculpture is entitled “Portrait of Berta Hassler” by Filippo Cifariello. What strikes me most is how the rigid material seems to contradict the softness of her ruffled dress. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, looking at this piece, I see more than just a portrait. We need to consider the gaze. How does it engage with or resist the viewer? Does it challenge or reinforce societal expectations of women, particularly in relation to class and power during the period it was made? Editor: That's a very different way of considering portraiture than what I'm used to! Are you suggesting the sculpture is commenting on Berta Hassler's position in society? Curator: Precisely! The fact that she could commission such a work speaks volumes about her status. Consider the context. Realism, especially in marble, carries associations with power and permanence, harking back to classical ideals, often used to immortalize those in positions of authority. Yet, does the softness of the dress subvert those classical themes? What does this tension communicate? Editor: I guess I was too caught up in the beauty to think critically about the message of the work itself. The softness feels almost subversive when you consider the history. Curator: It's about questioning what seems natural or given. Did she have agency in the creation of this representation? Did Cifariello’s decisions have the ultimate influence, or did she want to be portrayed a particular way, and why? That would involve exploring gender and agency at that time. Editor: So, reading between the lines of a sculpture! That really changes my perspective. Curator: It is less about the aesthetic appeal and more about interrogating the layers of meaning embedded within the artwork and thinking critically about its social and historical implications. Editor: Now, I will look at art through the lense of cultural background. Thanks for widening my horizons!