Standing Man Regarding a Recumbent Figure, for "Death of King John" c. 1837

Editor: This is Washington Allston's "Standing Man Regarding a Recumbent Figure, for 'Death of King John.'" It's a small pencil sketch, roughly 9 by 7 centimeters. The standing figure looms over the other. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the raw labor of creation, the quick marks mapping out forms destined for another purpose. This isn't the finished product, but a stage in a process—a material investigation of a play's themes. How does the act of sketching itself shape your understanding? Editor: I see that now! It feels like we're catching Allston in the middle of his process. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, and by examining the labor involved, the traditional hierarchy of "high art" is questioned.