Alvaro de la Serna, the Spanish Ambassador 1805 - 1824

Editor: Here we have a drawing by Jacques-Louis David, "Alvaro de la Serna, the Spanish Ambassador." It's a delicate pencil sketch on paper. There's a kind of austere elegance to it, even in its unfinished state. What strikes you about this image? Curator: Ah, David, always the master of line! It’s like catching a fleeting thought, isn’t it? The grid underneath suggests a meticulous planning, almost a mathematical approach to beauty. It is as though David wanted to confine or find Serna within this structure. What does that evoke for you? Editor: That's interesting! The grid almost feels like a cage, now that you mention it. Curator: Exactly! Perhaps Serna's role as ambassador was, in some ways, confining. It gives the drawing an added layer of complexity. It is as if he is a general behind bars! Editor: I never would have looked at it that way! Curator: Art is like life, isn't it? The more you look, the more you see.