Poetry surrounded by children in a lunette 1676 - 1681

Domenico Piola created this sepia ink drawing, Poetry Surrounded by Children in a Lunette, sometime in the 17th century. Piola was working in a period defined by the rigid hierarchies of the Italian Baroque. Here, Piola invites us into a seemingly conventional allegory of poetry, yet through his fluid lines, the piece subtly pushes against these established norms. Typically, in patriarchal societies, women are often portrayed as muses, sources of inspiration, but silenced in their own voices. Here, poetry is embodied by a maternal figure, actively writing, flanked by children. In the cultural context of seventeenth-century Italy, this representation carries a quiet, yet powerful subversion. The emotional quality of the drawing lies in this tension, it asks us to consider the roles women occupy, both as subjects and creators.