Design for a Stage Sets Groin-vaulted Stairway Leading to a Gallery with Another Stairway to a Second Story at Left (recto); Slight Sketch Traced Through form the Recto and Reworked (verso). 1698 - 1765

Editor: We’re looking at "Design for a Stage Set," a pen and ink drawing by Giovanni Battista Natali III, dating from about 1698 to 1765. All those stairways and archways… it feels a bit like a fancy M.C. Escher drawing. What do you see here? Curator: A delicious fantasy, really! Look how Natali teases us with endless receding spaces. The architecture is grand, theatrical. Imagine how the light would play across those groin vaults, creating dramatic shadows. I feel like I’m wandering through the backstage of a dream. Notice the tiny figures… Do they give you a sense of scale? Editor: Absolutely, they really emphasize the monumental size. It's almost dizzying. Curator: Dizzing is right. It’s Baroque excess at its best. Think of the opera houses of the time, the sheer spectacle! This drawing, though seemingly a simple stage design, hints at that whole world, that passion for creating illusion and overwhelming the senses. You know, these sorts of sketches weren't always intended as art pieces themselves, but rather functional explorations… Now look at them! Transcendent! I wonder, does it evoke a specific emotion for you? Editor: Hmm, maybe a little anxiety mixed with awe? It’s so vast and intricate. It’s cool how a simple pen and ink drawing can create such a sense of space. Curator: Precisely! A portal created with a few, artfully placed lines. Natali invites us to slip through the looking glass into his opulent world. These historical references shape not just what's depicted, but also what is. What a revelation! Editor: I’ll definitely be looking at Baroque art differently now. It's more than just pretty; it's an invitation. Curator: Exactly! Art isn't just what we see, but a journey we undertake, wouldn’t you agree?