Apollo: Design for a Ceiling 

Editor: This is Sir James Thornhill's "Apollo: Design for a Ceiling," created around the early 18th century. It's a pen and wash drawing. I'm really struck by the artist's process, like I can see him working with the materiality of ink. What stands out to you? Curator: Notice how Thornhill used fairly simple materials and repeated motifs, like those cloud forms, to depict this grand, allegorical scene. Think of the labour involved in scaling this up to a huge ceiling fresco, the workshops, the assistants, the cost of pigment. How does this design reflect the patronage system of the time? Editor: That's fascinating! I never considered the economic implications of such a design. Curator: Considering the consumption of art then versus now shifts how we might value the artistry.