Preparatory Sketches for a Design for a Frieze. Verso: Designs for a Vase 

Editor: This intriguing sheet of sketches by Thomas Stothard seems to vibrate with latent energy. There’s a medley of figures: human faces, classical motifs, and animals... What visual memories do these rough sketches evoke for you? Curator: I see the re-emergence of classical ideals, a persistent cultural memory. The faces, the frieze format—they echo ancient Greek and Roman art. Consider the ram, a symbol of sacrifice and virility, juxtaposed with those serene, almost melancholic, faces. What story might Stothard be hinting at? Editor: Perhaps a story about power and mortality, told through familiar symbols? It’s fascinating how these images still resonate, even in their fragmented state. Curator: Indeed. It speaks to the enduring power of these symbols to carry cultural weight, doesn't it? I am so pleased to have pondered this today.