Young Child Standing on a Flower; verso: Nudes and a Forest Pool c. 1869 - 1871

Curator: This is William Rimmer’s sketch from the Harvard Art Museums, titled "Young Child Standing on a Flower; verso: Nudes and a Forest Pool." Editor: It feels like a fleeting dream. Like capturing a glimpse of something forbidden and beautiful in the same breath. Curator: Rimmer, active in the mid-19th century, often explored themes of the body, nature, and classical mythology. This sketch encapsulates a Romantic sensibility, portraying idealized figures in a natural setting. Editor: The nudes almost blend into the forest, a bit like dryads emerging from the trees. It’s as if Rimmer wanted to capture the mystical and untamed essence of nature itself. Curator: Absolutely, there’s a sense of freedom in his rendering of the human form intertwined with nature—a reflection of the era's fascination with the sublime and the natural world. Editor: It makes you wonder what he was truly after—a study of form, or a portal to a hidden world? Maybe it was both.