Temples of Juno, Lucina, and Concordia - Agrigentum, Sicily 1842

Editor: Here we have Thomas Cole's "Temples of Juno, Lucina, and Concordia - Agrigentum, Sicily," created in 1842 using pencil and watercolor. It's really striking how the imposing temple ruins loom over the landscape; there's a real sense of history and timelessness, and even fragility. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Indeed, a profound sense of time pervades this sketch. The crumbling temples, rendered with such careful detail, are not merely architectural remains. Consider their presence: ancient temples dedicated to Juno, Lucina, and Concordia—goddesses embodying marriage, childbirth, and harmony. Even in ruins, do they not project a longing for those ideals? Look closely at the skeletal columns piercing the skyline – are they testaments to lost civilisations or enduring symbols of humanity's aspiration towards something greater? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't fully considered, focusing on the goddesses themselves and what they represented. I was mostly caught up in the visual drama of the scene. Curator: Precisely! Cole strategically contrasts the solid geometry of the architecture with the rough naturalism of the landscape. What feeling do you get from this deliberate juxtaposition? Editor: I guess it emphasizes the tension between human ambition and the natural world, the constant give and take of creation and decay. Curator: An insightful observation! Notice also the lone figures –are they worshippers, tourists, ghosts? They're dwarfed by the grandeur of the site and placed to give perspective, yes, but also invite contemplation on human presence in the face of overwhelming history. The weight of the past presses upon them as much as it does us, gazing upon this scene today. Editor: This has totally shifted how I see the drawing. I initially viewed it as a landscape study but seeing the interplay of symbols reveals another story. Thank you. Curator: The beauty of art lies in this layered understanding, it's exciting when something old speaks to us in new ways.