Project for a Monumental Fountain 1767

Curator: Augustin Pajou's "Project for a Monumental Fountain," created around 1767, offers an intriguing glimpse into the Neoclassical vision of public art. What strikes you most about this tempera and pencil sketch? Editor: The overwhelming impression is one of intended grandeur teetering on the edge of pomposity. The fountain design itself, a layered spectacle of figures and cascading water, feels…laborious, somehow. Curator: Well, consider the material aspirations of the era. The work isn’t the fountain itself but a proposal. This print could be mass produced, acting as an advertisement or a pattern for other fountain building, expanding access to artwork outside the elite, blurring high and low art forms. Editor: But is that actual democratization or just another way of consolidating power? The very idea of a 'monumental' fountain speaks to the control of resources – water, stone, labor. Whose voices and bodies were involved in the quarrying, the carving, the plumbing that all of this design necessitates? And, beyond its creation, who benefits from or is excluded from access to this communal luxury? Curator: A fair point, although one could argue it provides communal aesthetic enjoyment, regardless of social strata. Editor: If we dig into its Neoclassical aesthetic and ideals we see how this art both represents and perpetuates social values and codes. We can understand, then, the art and the access to it as deeply embedded within power dynamics, signaling not just civic improvement but who this improvement is for. The central goddess figure in her alcove reinforces gendered hierarchies and political ideologies, making a clear and strong statement about the patriarchy. Curator: Interesting observation. Considering the Neoclassical revival's roots, this piece offers insights into the material circumstances and labour conditions behind these grandiose schemes. The print itself, though a relatively accessible medium, still acted within the confines of patronage and artistic production of its time, which were controlled by specific workshops and distribution channels. Editor: Exactly. By recognizing the social, material conditions inherent in this design we are compelled to view it through the lens of inclusivity. It's a stunning vision that begs urgent questions about art, purpose, and how we collectively shape equitable spaces. Curator: An important reminder. Pajou’s "Project," however preliminary, is also an active negotiation, made visible through tempera and pencil marks, within systems that determine how our spaces are conceptualized, made and inhabited.