[title not known] 

Curator: This sketch, currently without a known title, is by John Flaxman, born in 1755, and is held within the Tate Collections. It measures 198 by 156 millimeters. Editor: It has an air of formality, doesn’t it? A certain restraint in the linework. The figures are deliberately posed, almost staged. Curator: Flaxman was a master of line, reducing form to its most essential contour. Notice how the negative space around the figures contributes to their presence. Editor: Indeed, their symbolic weight stems from the classical drapery; they evoke a sense of Roman authority, perhaps even stoicism. Curator: The composition is particularly striking, the figures arranged not in perfect symmetry, but in a calculated visual balance. Editor: This resonates with the power and control they represent. Curator: Seeing Flaxman’s sketches, one appreciates the fundamental principles of structure. Editor: It underscores the enduring nature of symbols and their ability to evoke a kind of cultural memory.