Design after a Fountain in the Villa Aldobrandini at Frascati. 1590 - 1600

Curator: Oh, my first thought? It's incredibly theatrical, almost like a stage set waiting for players. Editor: And it's apt that you describe it that way. What we have here is a design, rendered in ink, for a fountain at the Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, circa 1590-1600. The hand behind this is Giovanni Guerra. It offers such insight into the performance of power in Renaissance landscape design. Curator: It does have a dramatic air, doesn’t it? I can almost hear the rush of the water, smell the damp stone, and feel the coolness in the air. The statuary across the top seems almost alive in how the ink suggests such vivacity, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. The work illustrates the integration of art, architecture, and the natural environment, meant to evoke a feeling of awe in the beholder. Think of the Villa Aldobrandini’s placement – poised strategically atop a hill. It visually commands its surroundings, projecting influence. Curator: What a glorious vanity project! That explains the ship poised on the top center -- the attention to detail here is incredible. But is there something more to it? The people standing around look to be in precarious, playful positions...almost like dancers. Editor: Consider the fountain as a symbolic gesture, an ostentatious display of wealth amid poverty and social stratification. Also consider the context, Frascati became a site for wealthy Romans to build lavish villas during this era and these settings, filled with symbolic imagery, were not designed for the common people. Instead they served as stages for elite leisure, literally elevating themselves above everyone else. Curator: The more you unravel the possible history, the less this has to do with nature and much more about the power games, hasn't it? Editor: Exactly, and in this work, Guerra invites us to consider the various layers that contribute to the power dynamic. How landscapes can serve not just aesthetic ends but reinforce existing hierarchies through their design. Curator: Now I'm less enchanted by the gurgling waters and dancing figures and more fixated on what isn't visible, on all the unspoken intentions shimmering beneath the facade. Editor: Which is the magic of Giovanni Guerra. A vision rendered with beautiful strokes. But a drawing whose function runs much deeper.