Reclining Male Nude with Knees Bent 1895

Editor: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross's "Reclining Male Nude with Knees Bent". The blue paper gives the figure a cool cast. What do you see in this work? Curator: It's a study, isn't it? A casual exploration of form. The lines are searching, not declarative. He's caught a moment of repose. I wonder what the model was thinking? Editor: It feels very intimate. The angle, the slight awkwardness of the pose… Curator: Indeed. And the raised arm, what's he holding? Or reaching for? It’s a question mark hanging in the air, much like life itself, wouldn't you agree? Editor: That's a beautiful way to put it. Curator: Art, like life, is rarely a statement, but a lingering, beautiful question.