Baron Pollock. A Young Man, Three-Quarter Length, Seated 

Curator: This sensitive portrait is by Samuel Laurence, called "Baron Pollock. A Young Man, Three-Quarter Length, Seated." It's held in the Tate collections. Editor: He looks like he's about to confess something, doesn't he? The eyes are heavy, yet knowing. Curator: There's an almost sculptural quality to his features. Laurence really knew how to capture the interior life through the exterior form, I think. Editor: His pose also feels symbolic. Confined almost, but still upright. The hand that's visible is very prominent and well-defined, almost reaching out of the page. Curator: The loose sketch-like quality gives the subject an informality that's very alluring. He seems so approachable, even vulnerable. Editor: It's almost voyeuristic, isn't it? A candid peek into a private moment. I think there's a timeless quality here, a sense of universal human experience. Curator: Exactly. The kind of quiet strength that draws us in. I'll be thinking about this one for days.