This lecture, titled “Designing the Viewer’s Experience”, is an exploration of three examples of artwork which at a first glance seem to have very little to do with each other. However, through the diligent investigation of these works Erica neatly ties together the overarching elements that are found in them all: the quality of their design, and the attention and care put into them which creates a deeply evocative experience.

For each individual work we are guided through the various components that make them uniquely remarkable. Our journey beings with a spirited analysis on the history and design of a room from the Villa of Livia (39 BCE) which is now installed in Palazzo Massimo in Rome. This particular room features a fresco that covers the walls depicting natural spaces. The lively and lush nature ‘contained’ in the room completely surrounds the viewer, inducing an illusory effect in direct opposition to the reality of the subterranean space- an impression that is further enhanced with the use of atmospheric perspective in the design of the abundant garden scenes.

The second work we are guided through is La Gorgone e gli eroi (Gorgon and the Heroes) (1890–1899) a painting by Giulio Aristide Sartorio which is also found in Rome, at the Galleria Nazionale. Erica Arcudi speaks on the range of paint application, color, and sensibility within the painting, in addition to making direct comparisons of the final artwork to Sartorio’s study for it.

The third and final work Erica discusses is Crepuscolo (Dusk) by Giorgio Belloni, an amazing landscape painted in 1912. This painting is found in the Galleria d’Arte Moderna at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. She touches on its delicate color handling, the influence of naturalistic and impressionist currents evident in the artwork, and how the application of even the smallest details create a beautiful, tangible atmosphere.