Mythological Figure Group (from Sketchbook) 1857 - 1860

Editor: Here we have "Mythological Figure Group (from Sketchbook)," an ink drawing from between 1857 and 1860 by John Quincy Adams Ward. The figures feel both classical and somewhat incomplete. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, immediately my mind goes to the materials at hand. Look at the starkness of the pen on paper, how the quick strokes render bodies, objects, and flame alike with the same urgent line. What does this tell us about Ward’s process? Was he sketching an idea quickly? And consider, too, the economic context of readily available ink and paper allowing such experimentation. How might the cost of these materials affected accessibility to art making? Editor: So you're saying the availability of the materials might have democratized art making somewhat? Curator: Exactly. Ward could explore mythological themes - historically reserved for the elite – in a relatively inexpensive medium. Think about the role of the sketchbook itself – mass produced for education but readily adapted by artists for personal investigation. We see here the crossing of class and convention through everyday labor. What else catches your eye? Editor: I am struck by how unfinished it seems, with certain areas densely detailed while others fade into suggestion. Is that another factor of the materials he uses? Curator: Potentially, but also his relationship to the art market. Perhaps this was a study for a larger sculpture. A quick record, rather than a polished “artwork”. The distinction between preparatory sketch and finished product collapses a bit here, challenging traditional artistic hierarchies, wouldn't you say? The sketch then also embodies all levels of labour to product and questions commodity. Editor: I see. So it makes us question what we consider art. I never thought about the materials themselves having such an impact on interpretation. Curator: Absolutely. Examining materials helps to uncover hidden dialogues within the art.