Providence 1772

Editor: Here we have Domenico Cunego's "Providence." There's no date listed, but it's in the Harvard Art Museums. It feels allegorical, like something from a dream. What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious mother figure surrounded by cherubs? Curator: Ah, yes, a waking dream perhaps! It’s interesting to consider what Cunego may have been trying to express about nurturing, not just children, but perhaps ideas or even a nation. Do you notice how Providence holds both a cornucopia and a rudder? Editor: I missed the rudder! Is she guiding things, taking care of them? Curator: Precisely! And consider those cherubs; they represent different aspects of prosperity and well-being. It's a visual feast, a celebration of abundance, but also a quiet reminder of the responsibility that comes with it. Editor: So, more than just a mother and her kids, it's about how we take care of... everything? Curator: Precisely. Editor: A lot more going on here than meets the eye. Thanks!