Venus and Ascanius, after de Boisfremont 1817 - 1835

Editor: This is Giovanni Beltrami's "Venus and Ascanius, after de Boisfremont," it's tiny, about the size of my palm. It looks like some kind of molded material. What strikes me is the labor involved in such a detailed miniature. What stands out to you? Curator: Considering Beltrami's choice of material and scale, I'm drawn to think about the commodification of classical imagery. How does the mass production of such objects democratize or dilute the original artistic intent, and what does that say about consumption during that period? Editor: That's interesting, I never thought about it in terms of mass production. Thanks for your insight! Curator: And I appreciate you making me think more deeply about the impact of scale on artistic value.