Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus 1812

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold this preparatory drawing by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, titled Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus. It dates from the nineteenth century. Editor: It feels skeletal, almost ghostly, but in a way that intensifies the historical weight of the scene. I'm immediately drawn to the figure of Virgil—the posture suggests vulnerability. Curator: Ingres’s academic practice involved a deep engagement with historical subjects, but also with the labor of artistic production itself. The gridlines speak to the careful planning required for such an ambitious composition. Editor: Absolutely. And the way that Ingres positions Virgil as the central figure, reading to the emperor Augustus, can be seen as a commentary on the relationship between power and art. Who gets to shape the narrative? Curator: Right. Ingres uses the material and the process to make visible the power dynamics at play. Editor: It's a powerful reminder that artistic creation is never truly separate from the social and political context in which it emerges. Curator: Indeed. It invites us to consider the artist's role in shaping historical memory. Editor: And to think about who gets remembered, and how.