Portrait of a Young Boy in a Brown Suit 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Portrait of a Young Boy in a Brown Suit," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: He looks rather melancholic, doesn’t he? There’s a subtle weight in his expression, emphasized by the subdued color palette. Curator: The brown suit itself is quite interesting. It speaks to a particular class and expectation, and the labor involved in its production. Who made the fabric? Who tailored it? Editor: Brown has long carried associations with earth and humility. Perhaps it’s meant to convey the virtues of simplicity and groundedness in this boy's character. Curator: Or perhaps it was simply what was available and affordable at the time. The materiality dictates the narrative, to some extent. Editor: Yet, within that brown, there's an aspiration, a symbol, not just of social standing, but also of potential. Curator: It is fascinating how a simple garment can embody so much. Editor: Indeed, seeing the material culture through symbolic eyes offers a new layer of interpretation to this portrait.