Allen Parker 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross’s "Allen Parker," a sketch. I find the lines incredibly precise, almost mathematical, yet they capture a certain vulnerability in the subject. What strikes you most about this drawing? Curator: That "mathematical" feeling is key. Ross was deeply interested in theories of visual harmony. The underlying geometric structure, those lightly drawn triangles, speak to that. Do you feel it adds to or detracts from the human presence in the portrait? Editor: It's a push and pull, isn't it? Like Allen Parker is both a person and a study in form. I hadn't considered the harmony aspect; that's intriguing! Curator: Exactly! It's Ross searching for order, maybe even a bit of himself, in the act of portraying another. And that search, that tension, makes it all the more compelling. Editor: I’ll definitely be looking at Ross's other work after this. Thanks for shedding light on this sketch!