Candlestick reconstructed from fragments already in the ancient Palazzo Salviati Lungara 1778

Curator: So, this is Giovanni Battista Piranesi's "Candlestick reconstructed from fragments already in the ancient Palazzo Salviati Lungara," created in 1778. What strikes you about it? Editor: Well, it’s incredibly ornate! Knowing it's a reconstructed piece shown in print, it makes me think about the layering of history, like an archeological find brought to life in ink. How would you interpret its form? Curator: For me, it speaks volumes about the relationship between labor, material, and meaning. Piranesi, though working in print, is really commenting on sculptural reconstruction and, ultimately, value. Consider the phrase "reconstructed from fragments." What is valued here? Is it the object itself or Piranesi's skill and process of reclaiming antiquity from ruin, then documenting this act through mass production? Editor: That's fascinating. So, the act of reconstruction becomes almost as important as the original artifact? How would this have been received by other artists at the time? Curator: Absolutely! And reception is crucial here. By disseminating images of reconstructed artefacts, Piranesi was, in effect, mass-producing his artistic vision of history, challenging existing hierarchies surrounding the creation, reproduction, and consumption of 'high art'. Was he a craftsman, an artist, or a proto-archaeologist? Think about how this challenged the status quo of artistic creation and what it meant to be an artist. Editor: I never considered it in that way before. It really changes how you look at the object. So, much of the printmaking here isn’t necessarily about aesthetic value, but as a record of his process as a maker and restorer? Curator: Exactly! The print serves as documentation of production – his, of the initial craftsman, of Roman society’s values. He is encouraging us to consider not only what we see, but how it came to be, who touched it, and why it matters now. Editor: Thanks, I’ll definitely think more about those aspects going forward!