Head of a Musk Ox 19th-20th century

Curator: This is "Head of a Musk Ox" by William Rowan, a graphite drawing housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's a quiet strength in those lines, isn't there? A sort of stoic watchfulness. The ox seems to be observing from an icy distance. Curator: Exactly! The way Rowan captures the animal's dense fur, its powerful horns, all in delicate graphite, it speaks to the ox's hardiness in a harsh landscape. Perhaps Rowan was trying to distill the spirit of resilience. Editor: It also reminds me of ancient heraldry, you know? Like a crest, a symbol of northern nobility, raw power distilled to a single, elegant portrait. There's a vulnerability there, too, those gentle eyes... Curator: Yes, a poignant paradox. Strength tinged with vulnerability. I find I’m drawn to the immediacy, the sense that this is a fleeting moment captured in graphite, a whisper of the wild. Editor: A silent guardian, beautifully rendered. It's a piece that makes you think about the tenacity of life, doesn't it?