Portrait of the Comte de Caylus c. 18th century

Curator: This small drawing is a portrait of the Comte de Caylus by Charles-Nicolas Cochin le jeune, and it's currently in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, it's got a certain fragile elegance, doesn't it? Almost like a perfectly preserved memory. Curator: Exactly. Look at the medium, likely graphite or black chalk, and how the artist uses delicate hatching to build form. This reflects the engraver's skill, transferable from printmaking. Editor: It feels so intimate, being this small, like a locket holding a secret. Curator: Size definitely matters here. It was likely meant for private contemplation or as a token of social exchange, marking status and connection within specific circles. Editor: Thinking about who would have held this, gazing upon it...I wonder what stories it could tell. Curator: Indeed. It’s a potent reminder of the layers of labor, both artistic and social, embedded in even a seemingly simple portrait. Editor: It's funny, this tiny portrait, after all this time, continues to provoke a response.