Blank Page; verso: Three Sketches of a Seated Dog c. 1845 - 1847

Curator: Here, we have a small sketchbook page by Sanford Robinson Gifford, a study titled "Blank Page; verso: Three Sketches of a Seated Dog." It resides at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is quite intimate. The facing blank page feels almost like an invitation, doesn't it? Curator: Yes, it does. I'm also struck by the immediacy of it. You can almost feel Gifford's hand moving across the page with those quick pencil strokes. Editor: Exactly. And think about the paper itself, the way it absorbs the graphite. The materiality of these humble sketchbooks is crucial. They were functional objects, crafted for everyday use by artists. Curator: It's like peeking into his creative process, a moment of quiet contemplation before a grand landscape painting. Editor: Absolutely, it humanizes the artistic act, showing the labour and preparation that underpin the final "masterpiece." The blank page, in particular, highlights the potentiality inherent in every material. Curator: A poignant reminder that every great journey starts with a single, tentative sketch. Editor: Indeed, from blank pages to finished works, it's a cycle of material transformation and artistic intention.