Week 10 Discussion Post
Week 10 Discussion Post

Week 10 Discussion Post

While the Carlos Museum may not have an exhibition dedicated to the Baroque era, there are plenty of objects that could be connected to the people and ideas of the period. This marble statue of Mercury from 1st-2nd Century CE Rome can be connected to the Antiquarianism of the Baroque period. I could imagine seeing this work of art in a room displaying various works from around the world (Cabinet of Curiosity) or within a paper museum of ancient works from Rome. I feel like this sculpture could easily fit alongside the other etchings in the paper museums patroned by Vicenzo Giustiniani or Cassiano del Pozzo. In the Baroque period, there was increased interest in studying ancient works as reference for new art, similar to the Renaissance. Therefore, an object like this sculpture would be valued as a great work for artists to refer to.

In an art museum of the present day, one would expect to find this sculpture in the Greco-Roman area. However, I think it could also work in a Baroque exhibit with the proper contextualization. For instance, the work could be displayed alongside etchings of other ancient works from paper museum collections. Another interesting possibility would be to present the sculpture within a recreation of a Cabinet of Curiosity, similar to the one at the Walters Museum in Baltimore. I think displaying the work in a recreation of a Baroque display could be very interesting for the museum visitor to experience the work like a person would in the Early Modern period.

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