Study of a Soldier in Profile; verso: Study of a Soldier Reading 1861

Curator: This sketch, held in the Harvard Art Museums, is titled "Study of a Soldier in Profile" by Sanford Robinson Gifford. Editor: It’s immediately striking, this wispy suggestion of a Civil War soldier; it feels less like a portrait and more like a ghost. Curator: Indeed, Gifford made it to explore form and light on a small scale. The verso even contains another sketch, showing the soldier reading. Editor: The very act of sketching, especially during wartime, seems so intimate, so human. What was the cost of uniforms and supplies during this era? Curator: The study emphasizes the production of military identity and the materials that constitute it. Gifford isn’t just rendering a likeness, he’s capturing the cultural construction of a soldier. Editor: It’s an evocative piece. The formal simplicity allows for a powerful emotional resonance. Curator: Precisely, and by considering the conditions of its making, we get insight into the economic realities that shaped the soldier's experience. Editor: A haunting reminder of the relationship between art, war, and society. Curator: It is powerful to think about the human experience within a work that deals with conflict.