Feast in the House of Simon n.d.

Giovanni Battista Lanzeni created this pen and brown ink drawing, *Feast in the House of Simon*, sometime between 1675 and 1737. During the Baroque period, artists like Lanzeni were often commissioned to create works by wealthy patrons, which had implications for how biblical scenes were portrayed. In this drawing, Lanzeni depicts a biblical scene, but there are other power dynamics at play. Who is invited to dine, who is left outside? The viewer is invited to consider the social hierarchies inherent in religious narratives. This drawing offers a glimpse into the lives of those included and excluded from religious and social circles. It reflects the artist's cultural context and invites us to consider how these dynamics resonate today. It’s in the act of drawing, in the making of the work, that Lanzeni seems to capture the complexities of faith, society, and human relationships.