Tempel van Mars Ultor en de Pantaniboog in het Forum van Augustus en de toren van San Basilio c. 1609

Editor: This drawing, "Tempel van Mars Ultor en de Pantaniboog in het Forum van Augustus en de toren van San Basilio," was created around 1609 by Gerard ter Borch using ink on paper. It strikes me as a stark juxtaposition of architectural grandeur and decay. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Well, let’s consider the drawing as an object, made through specific labor. Look at the detail rendered in ink; ter Borch meticulously records the very texture of the stone. Think about the labor invested in creating those original Roman structures versus the labor involved in depicting them centuries later. It speaks volumes about shifting power structures. Editor: Shifting power structures? Could you elaborate on that? Curator: Certainly. Ter Borch, a Northern artist, depicts the remains of Roman power. This isn’t a celebration of empire, but a record of its material decline. The archway and tower are rendered as crumbling masses of brick. This drawing, then, functions almost as a souvenir for the burgeoning Dutch merchant class, a memento mori for empires built on conquest. Consider, too, how readily paper and ink are transported and traded compared to enormous stones used to erect ancient civilizations! Editor: That's a fascinating way to look at it. I was focused on the architectural aspects. I didn't fully consider the socioeconomic implications. Curator: Precisely. And consider, is ter Borch idealizing, or truthfully documenting? The deliberate, yet fragile, use of ink suggests a potential tension between objective observation and subjective experience as well. Editor: That reframes the way I see drawings from this period. Thanks for pointing out the interplay between material, labor, and social meaning. Curator: It’s the material reality that brings these power dynamics into focus, and shapes the consumption and appreciation of the artwork itself!