Battista Sforza, Duchess of Urbino, after Piero della Francesca 1896

Curator: Robert David Gauley created this portrait, titled "Battista Sforza, Duchess of Urbino, after Piero della Francesca," now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The dimensions are roughly 48 by 34 centimeters. Editor: There's an austere quality to it; the profile is so precise, almost like a cameo, but with a very human, vulnerable expression. Curator: Absolutely. Gauley's choice to revisit Piero della Francesca places the work within a lineage of power and representation. Consider the original's historical context: a celebration of marriage and status. How does Gauley's rendition speak to these themes in a modern light? Editor: That's interesting, thinking about whose gaze is privileged here. Is it a commentary on how women's worth was often tied to dynastic alliances, their individuality almost erased? The original was commissioned to celebrate her marriage; this copy invites us to consider Battista’s life and legacy. Curator: Indeed. And what of the medium itself? Gauley’s handling invites consideration of how historical styles shape our understanding of gender and authority. Editor: Seeing it today, I am left pondering the weight of historical expectations on women, and whether those expectations still echo. Curator: A thought-provoking reflection.