Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius 1757

Editor: So this is Hubert Robert's "Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius," done in 1757, using watercolor and coloured pencil. It's striking how Robert places the statue amid ruins. What does this juxtaposition suggest to you? Curator: For me, this speaks volumes about material transformation and societal change. Notice how Robert meticulously renders both the equestrian statue – a symbol of Roman power – and the crumbling architectural framework. It invites us to consider the life cycle of materials, from quarry to monument, and eventually, to rubble. Editor: It's interesting that you focus on the material, given that it’s a drawing and not an actual sculpture. Curator: Precisely. Robert chooses drawing, a relatively portable and reproducible medium, to document what are inherently grand and immobile structures. This introduces a new layer concerning the availability of art. Who would have access to depictions of these Roman landmarks? Was it intended for scholars, Grand Tourists, or for wider circulation through prints? And how did Robert's labour, the physical act of drawing, translate into the creation of meaning? Editor: So the act of reproduction is key here? Curator: Absolutely. The shift from grand Roman architecture to reproducible artwork highlights not just the ephemerality of power, but the democratization of its image through the production and distribution of art materials. Editor: It makes you think about how art itself can be a commodity and the power of its materials... Curator: Indeed. And consider the social conditions and the labor required to produce the paper, pencils and pigments that were so critical to Robert's art practice and that helped transform stone to image.