Bust of Dom Luis da Cunha 1737

Curator: This is a remarkable piece. The "Bust of Dom Luis da Cunha," sculpted in 1737 by Jan Baptist Xavery. It's a marble sculpture. Editor: It immediately strikes me as grandiose. Look at that cascade of meticulously carved curls! One almost feels the weight and density of the marble despite the delicate rendering of the subject’s features. Curator: Absolutely, the baroque style is evident in its dramatic flair and intricate detail. Xavery really captures a sense of Da Cunha's stature through the composition. Editor: Da Cunha must have had incredible influence, not just in resources available for commission but also in the labour required. The sourcing of marble itself, quarrying it, transporting it. Each stage implicates different levels of craft. Curator: True. And if we move beyond the pure representation and consider the forms, there's a wonderful balance between the textured wig and the smoother surfaces of the face and drapery. It draws your eye directly to Da Cunha’s expression—almost a studied nonchalance. Editor: Do you think it really captures anything 'real' though? It seems like more of a carefully constructed performance. How do we consider his position and power relative to Xavery's as a worker. Did Xavery find freedom within those confines, or does the bust more directly mirror Da Cunha's image of himself? Curator: That interplay between patron and artist is precisely what makes portraiture so compelling. As to the emotional expression: there is undeniable grace. Xavery masterfully portrays Da Cunha not as a man simply with power, but a man aware of his power and his position. Editor: And while some might find the piece simply ornamental, perhaps the labor imbued within speaks more to our understanding of power and production, ultimately shifting the perception from pure glorification. Curator: Indeed, the marble itself, worked to create such fine details. One gets the impression that there is perhaps as much significance as to the source and extraction of the stone, as there is the final sculptural representation. Editor: And perhaps that can teach us more about both Da Cunha and Xavery in the period through its very materiality.