Jupiter c. 1758 - 1760

Ubaldo Gandolfi made this drawing of Jupiter with pen and brown ink wash on paper sometime in the 18th century. This is the king of the gods in the Roman pantheon, and the eagle at his side is his symbolic animal. Gandolfi was working in Bologna, Italy, at a time when the institutions of aristocratic patronage and religious art were beginning to wane, and artists increasingly depended on academies and art markets. We see this reflected in the aesthetics of the artwork. Classical subjects like Jupiter were perennial favorites for their display of erudition, but Gandolfi renders the figure in a fluid and energetic style that would appeal to collectors, as opposed to the church. This drawing would have been acquired for display and contemplation, a demonstration of the owner's place within a cultured and refined social sphere. Art history can help us to look beyond the image itself, giving us insights into the complex relationships between artistic production, social status, and cultural values.