Profile Head of Walter Nelson (recto and verso) 1929

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s "Profile Head of Walter Nelson," drawn in May 1927. It's fascinating to see the geometric structure underlying the portrait. What do you make of the visible construction lines? Curator: The explicit geometric framework—the grid and radiating lines—reveals Ross's interest in abstract formal relationships. It is a study in the underlying structure, where the subject’s likeness is secondary to the geometrical system. Editor: So, it's more about the composition than the individual? Curator: Precisely. The work emphasizes the abstract, mathematical underpinnings of representation itself, foregrounding line, shape, and spatial relationships over mere portraiture. Note the interplay between the organic form of the face and the rigid geometry. Editor: I see it now; the geometry almost seems to define the subject. Curator: Indeed. It's a dissection of form, revealing the artist's process and prioritizing structure over sentiment.