About this artwork
Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Seated Sketch of Nelson." It looks like it's a pencil drawing on paper, and the artist has included a geometric grid in the background. What is your take on this piece? Curator: The visible process is key here. Note the inscription: this wasn't just a sketch, but a deliberate exercise, "drawn with the triangle of √5." The means of production are exposed. This points to a conscious elevation of craft. How does that materiality change your understanding? Editor: It makes me think about the artist as a craftsman working with tools and geometry, not just inspiration. I guess I hadn't thought about a drawing in those terms before. Curator: Exactly. The artist foregrounds the method, revealing the constructed nature of the image. Consider, too, how this challenges traditional notions of art making. It's a thoughtful piece about production itself.
Seated Sketch of Nelson 1925
Artwork details
- Dimensions
- actual: 35.4 x 25.5 cm (13 15/16 x 10 1/16 in.)
- Location
- Harvard Art Museums
- Copyright
- CC0 1.0
Comments
No comments
About this artwork
Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Seated Sketch of Nelson." It looks like it's a pencil drawing on paper, and the artist has included a geometric grid in the background. What is your take on this piece? Curator: The visible process is key here. Note the inscription: this wasn't just a sketch, but a deliberate exercise, "drawn with the triangle of √5." The means of production are exposed. This points to a conscious elevation of craft. How does that materiality change your understanding? Editor: It makes me think about the artist as a craftsman working with tools and geometry, not just inspiration. I guess I hadn't thought about a drawing in those terms before. Curator: Exactly. The artist foregrounds the method, revealing the constructed nature of the image. Consider, too, how this challenges traditional notions of art making. It's a thoughtful piece about production itself.
Comments
No comments