Abstract Head 19th-20th century

Curator: Here we have Alfred Henry Maurer’s “Abstract Head,” a piece residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. It measures approximately 52 by 40 centimeters. Editor: Immediately striking. There's a fragility here. A sense of fragmented identity conveyed through those stark, almost Cubist, planes. Curator: Maurer’s approach to applying paint—look at those broad, visible brushstrokes—reveals his dedication to exploring the materiality of paint itself and its capacity for expression. I wonder about his choice of colors. Editor: The color palette strikes me. Earthy browns and muted pinks dominate, hinting at a sense of melancholy or perhaps introspection. The stark black line adds a note of harshness, like a break in thought. Curator: Yes, and Maurer seems focused on deconstructing the very notion of portraiture, disrupting traditional expectations around capturing likeness. Editor: Absolutely. Those geometric shapes might evoke a sort of symbolic dismantling, reflecting perhaps the psychological fragmentation of modern life. Curator: Contemplating Maurer's process offers a lens to question traditional academic art production. It lets us reflect on the labor and the act of deconstruction. Editor: Looking at it again, the composition feels like a puzzle of cultural anxieties. A broken mirror reflecting the turmoil of a changing world. Curator: An interesting perspective! Now I wonder about the relationship between the materials and this sense of unease. Editor: It makes you wonder what symbols we construct for ourselves.