Interior with Columns, Archway and Steps, for "Dido and Anna" c. 1808

Editor: Here we have Washington Allston's sketch, "Interior with Columns, Archway and Steps, for "Dido and Anna." It feels like a stage set, waiting for the drama to unfold. What echoes do you hear in this space? Curator: I see a deliberate arrangement of classical motifs. Allston seems to be invoking the weight of history itself. Notice how the archway frames the steps—do you think that’s to evoke a sense of inevitability, like the characters are destined for a specific, tragic fate? Editor: That's fascinating! It definitely adds a layer of somberness to the composition. Curator: Precisely. The sketch becomes a vessel for carrying these pre-ordained narratives. How else do you see this playing out?