Piazza With Fountain Surrounded By Ornate Palaces; at Right, a Two-Tiered Palace Portico 1670

Editor: So, this is Melchior Küsel's "Piazza With Fountain Surrounded By Ornate Palaces." It's a print, and the level of detail is just astonishing. The whole scene feels so grand, yet a bit cold somehow. What do you see in this piece, something I might be missing? Curator: Cold, yes, perhaps because it’s a stage set, an idealized vision. Look at the perspective, how it pulls you into the distance, past that wonderfully theatrical portico. It's like Küsel is inviting us to dream of perfect urban spaces, spaces that likely never truly existed. Does it make you consider the role of art in shaping our desires? Editor: A dream, I like that idea. It does make you think about what we aspire to. Curator: Exactly! And maybe, just maybe, it encourages us to build our own versions of that dream, even imperfectly. Editor: It certainly gives you something to aim for!