Playing With Money

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

**Playing With Money** *Bartolomeo Pinelli (Italian, 1781–1835), 1807–08* *Drawing; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt* Bartolomeo Pinelli, a prolific Italian artist active in Rome during the Napoleonic era, captured the vibrancy of everyday Roman life through his lively drawings and engravings. Born in 1781, Pinelli trained under neoclassical masters but gained fame for his genre scenes depicting popular customs, festivals, and street life. Created around 1807–08, *Playing With Money* reflects this focus, likely portraying a playful or satirical moment involving currency—perhaps children or common folk handling coins in a lighthearted, relatable way. This period marked Italy's turbulent shift under French influence, and Pinelli's works often preserved the spirit of traditional Roman culture amid change. As a drawing, the piece showcases Pinelli's skillful use of line and contour, a hallmark of his preparatory sketches that later informed his popular etchings and book illustrations. These works were prized for their energy and detail, bridging neoclassicism's precision with emerging romantic interests in the ordinary. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, gifted by Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt, it exemplifies early 19th-century European draftsmanship collected in America. Though research continues, *Playing With Money* invites us to ponder themes of wealth, play, and human folly in a timeless Roman setting. (198 words)