Portrait Sketches (recto and verso) 19th-20th century

Editor: This is "Portrait Sketches" by Francis Davis Millet. It's a simple pencil drawing, seemingly unfinished. There's a melancholy air about the sitter. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The hat, for me, is the key. The fez. It immediately transports us. It's a symbol loaded with Ottoman and North African cultural baggage, signifying travel, exoticism, and perhaps even a certain level of societal status depending on the context. Do you think that symbolism was intentional? Editor: Possibly, but it could also just be a casual study. What about the phrase at the bottom, "find the boy"? Curator: Ah, yes! That adds another layer. The phrase speaks of a search, a quest for something lost or hidden, maybe innocence or an earlier self. Perhaps it relates to the sitter or Millet's own life. It adds a poignant layer to the portrait. Editor: I didn't think about it like that. It's amazing how a simple sketch can hold so much meaning! Curator: Indeed! And that’s the power of symbols: to evoke layers of meaning far beyond the visible.