Study for a Ceiling with the Personification of Counsel c. 1762

Editor: This is Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s “Study for a Ceiling with the Personification of Counsel,” created around 1762, using oil paint and watercolor. The wispy figures and the pastel shades create such a dreamy atmosphere. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This work strikes me as a potent commentary on power, perhaps even its illusion. Consider the “Personification of Counsel.” In a Rococo context, is "counsel" truly independent wisdom, or is it a force complicit in maintaining existing power structures, even contributing to class disparity? Editor: I hadn’t considered that. So, you’re seeing a critique of power dynamics in what I perceived as simply a pretty picture? Curator: Exactly. Note how the figures are arranged—some elevated, others seemingly at their mercy. How does this spatial dynamic reinforce a societal hierarchy? Tiepolo's choice to use allegory invites us to analyze what ‘Counsel’ truly represents in the context of 18th-century Venetian society. Was it really a virtue available to all, or was it tailored to benefit the elite? Editor: So, the mythology serves as a vehicle to question the role of guidance and authority at that time. Curator: Precisely. And the "dreamy atmosphere," as you called it, is not mere aesthetic flourish. It potentially acts as a smokescreen, obscuring the inherent inequalities. It invites you to think critically about beauty and its relation to systemic justice. Editor: That definitely gives me a lot to think about regarding the connection between art and social commentary! I never would have looked beneath the surface in that way without your input. Curator: And I am reminded to look closer at Tiepolo's technique with fresh eyes. Thank you for offering a different point of view!