Sketches of Horace Harral and Edwin Edwards 

Curator: Charles Samuel Keene, born in 1823, sketched these studies of Horace Harral and Edwin Edwards. I find it curious how the figures seem caught mid-motion. Editor: There's an intimacy to it, isn't there? As if we're peering into the artist's personal notebook, observing studies for a larger, perhaps unrealized, project. Curator: Keene, known for his work in "Punch," often captured the essence of Victorian society through caricature. The quick strokes remind me of the fleeting nature of observation and memory. Editor: I'm struck by the sketch of a man upside down; it disrupts the conventional portrait, almost as if Keene is subverting expectations of representation. Curator: Yes, perhaps he’s reminding us that there’s more than one way to look at a subject. Editor: Absolutely. It's a refreshing, informal glimpse into Victorian masculinity. Curator: It is interesting to consider how this image carries those norms and also seems to challenge them. Editor: It leaves me wondering, what other perspectives did Keene consider exploring in his art? Curator: Indeed, and how these sketches might inform our understanding of Victorian portraiture more broadly.