Portrait of Madame Alfred Sensier c. 19th century

Editor: This is Jean-François Millet's portrait of Madame Alfred Sensier, a drawing. The marks look so delicate, almost like threads. How would you interpret it? Curator: I see a careful negotiation between labor and representation. Consider the very material: graphite on paper. It speaks of accessibility, of a democratized art form compared to oil on canvas. Editor: Interesting. Curator: Millet, known for his paintings of laborers, here represents a woman connected to the art world, not through aristocratic patronage, but possibly through a shared appreciation for the value of work. Editor: So the medium itself, the humble pencil, becomes part of the statement? Curator: Precisely. It suggests a different kind of relationship between artist, subject, and the means of production. Editor: I never thought about pencil this way. Curator: Examining materiality can reveal so much about an artwork's social context.