Study of Eight Heads c. 18th century

Curator: This is Francesco Bartolozzi's "Study of Eight Heads," found here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The grouping of faces is interesting; their averted gazes and close proximity suggest both intimacy and sorrow. Curator: Note how Bartolozzi uses subtle hatching and cross-hatching to give form and depth to the figures, focusing on line and tonal variation rather than color. Editor: The veiled figure is particularly evocative, reminding me of traditional depictions of grief and mourning found across cultures. It hints at a shared, perhaps even archetypal, emotional experience. Curator: Indeed. The work's visual economy, its concentration on essential lines, communicates so much with very little. Editor: Ultimately, the drawing speaks to the power of collective emotion, seen through the individual experience. Curator: A compelling analysis, and a fitting summation of Bartolozzi's technical skill.