Design for Monument 18th century

This is a drawing for a monument, made with pen and gray ink on paper by an anonymous artist. A monument such as this would have been commissioned to commemorate an important person or event, reflecting the values and ideals that the commissioning body wished to promote. Here, female figures bearing an orb stand atop a plinth that is decorated with classical figures. Allegorical figures flank the plinth on either side. The references to classical sculpture suggest that the monument was intended to convey ideas about civic virtue, justice, and wisdom. Without knowing the historical context in which it was made, it’s difficult to say what this monument was intended to celebrate. Was it meant to uphold existing social norms, or to challenge them? Perhaps further research into the archives of public art institutions would give clues as to the monument’s intended location and purpose.