Allegorical Figure of the City of Piacenza, for a Pendentive in the Chapel of Saint-Roch, Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris (recto); Studies for the Same Figure (verso) 1821

Alexandre Denis Abel de Pujol created this drawing, "Allegorical Figure of the City of Piacenza," as a preparatory study for a chapel in Paris. Pujol, who lived through the tumultuous years of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, navigated a changing political landscape. Here, a female figure, draped in classical robes with her gaze directed upwards, embodies the city of Piacenza. Consider how the choice of a female figure invites reflection on the symbolic gendering of cities and nations, a common practice in Western art that often associates the feminine with virtue and vulnerability. The raised hands and upward gaze might evoke both civic pride and a plea for divine protection. This drawing acts as a window into the artistic processes of the 19th century, revealing the careful planning and consideration involved in creating public art. It asks us to think about the roles and representations of women in art, and the complex ways in which national and civic identities are constructed and idealized.