North Door of Baptistery of Florence c. 19th century

Curator: This is Giovanni Paolo Lasinio’s rendering of the North Door of the Baptistery of Florence. It’s so elegant, spare, and a little haunting. Editor: Yes, the starkness of the lithographic crayon really highlights the process. We see here the direct result of labor transferred to paper, a study of the original bronze. Curator: I love how it captures the feeling of a dream, or a half-remembered myth. The figures are so fluid, so expressive. Editor: It gives me a sense of the sheer effort involved in translating the heft of the bronze into these delicate lines. A study in the movement of materials, of labor, and how it carries meaning across mediums. Curator: It really is amazing. Makes you think about how stories evolve, take on new shapes. Editor: Indeed, from bronze to page, the story endures.