Alessandro Sacerdoti 18th-19th century

Curator: Here we have a small graphite drawing, approximately 25 by 20 centimeters, titled Alessandro Sacerdoti by Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar. Editor: He has such an earnest gaze, doesn't he? And that wonderful shock of hair! It feels very intimate, like a stolen moment. Curator: Wicar, who lived from 1762 to 1834, was deeply involved in Neoclassical circles. He was even arrested for his Jacobin sympathies. Editor: You can see a hint of that revolutionary spirit in his eyes! Although it is very subtle. Curator: Indeed. The inscription at the bottom, written in Italian, declares Sacerdoti as a former "free" man and a "Republican, always." Editor: What a powerful declaration, hidden away in this small portrait! It just goes to show you, even quiet art can roar. Curator: Precisely. It reveals how artistic patronage was often intertwined with political expression during this period. Editor: I'll never look at another Neoclassical portrait the same way again. There's always a story, isn't there?