Capital from San Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna 1888

Editor: Here we have Joseph Smith's graphite drawing, "Capital from San Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna." It's got such a delicate, almost ephemeral quality, like a memory fading into paper. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, the ghostly dance of graphite. Smith captures not just the capital, but the *idea* of a capital. Notice the obsessive detail in the acanthus leaves, yet the overall feeling is light, almost airy. Do you think that contrast was intentional, or perhaps a consequence of the medium? Editor: Maybe both? It's like he's revealing the weight of history while simultaneously freeing it from its earthly bonds. I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Precisely! And isn't that the magic of art? To see not just what *is*, but what *could be*? This drawing whispers possibilities. Editor: Absolutely, now it feels like I'm in on the secret of the ages.