Design for a Frame in the Form of a Cartouche (Mirror?) 1698 - 1765

Editor: Here we have Giovanni Battista Natali's "Design for a Frame in the Form of a Cartouche (Mirror?)," made sometime between 1698 and 1765, using ink on paper. It strikes me as incredibly ornate, even excessive, and it’s hard to believe something so detailed was hand-drawn. What jumps out at you? Curator: Ah, yes, an invitation to Baroque opulence! I see a celebration of flourish. Each line seems to pirouette, doesn’t it? Look at how the ink, almost like liquid gold, dances around the implied emptiness within. Does that emptiness feel expectant to you, a void yearning for reflection, or perhaps, a painting of equal theatricality? Editor: That's a lovely image—the ink pirouetting. The emptiness does seem intentional. The artist even includes a little face up top peering down! It does feel expectant. Like something important should be inside. Curator: Precisely! That face, a cheeky cherub maybe, is it judging the potential occupant, or blessing it? The Baroque loved to blur those lines. What do you make of the medium – ink on paper? Humble materials for such a grand design… or is that part of the cleverness? Editor: It's interesting that you say that. It feels like it’s mocking grandeur by executing this elaborate design in simple materials, it kind of softens the whole thing. Curator: Yes, the Baroque loved that kind of delicious contradiction. The ephemeral nature of ink on paper suggesting, perhaps, that even the most gilded ages eventually fade. It also makes you consider the artistry behind something you might easily overlook: the frame itself. Editor: I see what you mean! I hadn't considered the commentary within the medium itself. Thank you. Curator: And thank you! It's pieces like this that remind me why I love the Baroque so much. It really makes you think.