The Author's Family 1810

Curator: This is "The Author's Family," an etching by Bartolomeo Pinelli. Editor: It's quite intimate, but look! There's a skull on the mantelpiece! What does that say? Curator: "Tutto Finisce" – All Ends. Typical of the era, a memento mori for sure. Pinelli, born in 1781, engaged with popular imagery, often depicting Roman life. Editor: It's domestic, yet that stark reminder... The women sewing, tending children, a couple of dogs, and then, that emblem of mortality looming above. Curator: Pinelli was keenly aware of his audience. This image, while personal, also speaks to wider anxieties and perhaps even the role of the artist within society. The books suggest intellectual labor, overshadowed by the inevitable. Editor: It's a powerful contrast. The everyday, the family, all framed by that stark awareness of ending. It makes you think about what endures. Curator: Precisely. Pinelli provides a glimpse into his world, a moment caught between life's joys and its inescapable conclusion. Editor: A poignant reflection, elegantly captured.