Profile View of a Nude Youth Seated on a Block 1805 - 1806

Editor: This is Washington Allston's "Profile View of a Nude Youth Seated on a Block." It's undated, but Allston lived from 1779 to 1843. The drawing has a serene quality, almost melancholic. What draws you to this piece? Curator: It feels like a whispered secret, doesn't it? The young man seems lost in thought, a perfect embodiment of Romantic introspection. Allston, a master of light and shadow, uses the monochrome medium to amplify the feeling of introspection. What do you make of the figure's posture? Editor: It’s relaxed, but also closed off. Almost like he’s guarding something. Curator: Exactly! It reminds me of my own youthful ponderings. What truths or untruths is he confronting? A sketch like this invites such projection, and that's part of its enduring magic. It is a reminder that we all contain multitudes, even in moments of quiet contemplation.