A Thorn and Two Roses 1890

Curator: This is Albert Edward Sterner’s drawing, "A Thorn and Two Roses," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. What captures you about it? Editor: It feels like a quiet storm brewing. The textures are so alive; I can almost hear the rustle of fabric and the faint music hanging in the air. Curator: Sterner, active at the turn of the century, often depicted domestic scenes reflecting bourgeois life and its constraints on women. Editor: That tension! The woman at the piano, trapped in that high collar, the man watching... it’s a little unsettling, but also beautiful in its honesty. Curator: The 'thorn' perhaps represents a stifled individual. The roses, symbols of love, are also objects on display. Editor: It’s a dance of observation and performance, isn't it? A snapshot of a very particular kind of social theater. Curator: And Sterner, in his way, is inviting us to be both audience and analyst. Editor: Makes you wonder about the unspoken dramas behind closed doors. Food for thought, definitely.