Wooden Ceiling, Hall of Busts, Ducal Palace, Venice, Italy c. 20th century

Curator: Here we have Kenneth John Conant's "Wooden Ceiling, Hall of Busts, Ducal Palace, Venice, Italy," a detailed drawing currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? It's like seeing the bones of beauty. All the intricate flourishes reduced to a delicate skeleton. Curator: Exactly. Conant's captured not just the ornate design but also the underlying geometric structure. You see the grid? It reveals how these grand spaces were conceived and built. Editor: It’s a peek behind the curtain, isn't it? We get to see the Venetian artistry stripped bare, revealing the Renaissance obsession with order and proportion. Curator: It also makes you think about the political power embedded in these spaces. The Ducal Palace, the seat of Venetian authority, adorned with such calculated splendor. Editor: And yet, even in this sketch, there's such tenderness. It's not cold geometry; it's a loving study. It brings this grand ceiling down to earth, almost within reach. Curator: A fascinating intersection of art, power, and architectural precision. Editor: Indeed, it lets you see the beauty, and the work, in building and art.