Fireplace: two vases on the sides with snakes 

Editor: So, this etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi is called "Fireplace: two vases on the sides with snakes." The level of detail is amazing! But honestly, it feels a little…intimidating? How do you interpret this work? Curator: Intimidation is an interesting response. Consider Piranesi's historical context: a time of immense social change and upheaval, of empires and shifting power dynamics. Can the domestic fireplace, usually associated with warmth and security, become a stage for exploring anxiety and control? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. The snakes on the vases...they definitely add to the anxiety. Curator: Exactly! Snakes, laden with symbolism. Consider their historical role as symbols of power, wisdom, and, of course, deception. In what ways might these symbols challenge traditional notions of domesticity and power structures within the home? Editor: The ram heads above the fire are also unnerving. They’re usually associated with sacrifice. Is Piranesi suggesting a sort of domestic sacrifice? Curator: An insightful point. In a patriarchal society, whose desires are being sacrificed for the sake of upholding social order and tradition? Think about the labor often rendered invisible that keeps this idealised fireplace burning. Editor: So, this fireplace isn't just a fireplace; it's a statement on societal roles and the hidden sacrifices that come with them. Curator: Precisely. This connects it to larger societal issues about whose labor gets recognised and what price is paid for aesthetic refinement and domestic harmony. What do you make of it now? Editor: It gives me a lot to think about how the artist interrogates established conventions through familiar subjects. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. I leave you to meditate upon who warms themselves by this fire, and at what cost to others.