Design for a Decorated Console with Two Slaves on Top of an Eagle 1762 - 1844

Giuseppe Bernardino Bison made this pen and wash design for a decorated console in the late 18th or early 19th century. Bison was working in Venice when the city was in decline, and as we can see here, he and his patrons looked back to antiquity for inspiration. The image depicts two enslaved figures chained together above an eagle, supporting an entablature. The enslaved figures appear to be suffering, and the image can be understood as a commentary on the social structures of Bison’s own time. The design likely reflects the conservative attitudes of his patrons, upholding social hierarchies and promoting the idea of inherent superiority. To understand the social and institutional context of Bison’s work, we can look to historical sources such as letters, diaries, and inventories, to reveal the complex networks of patronage and power that shaped the production and reception of art in Venice. This work reminds us that the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.