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Editor: This sketch, by William Henry Hunt, shows a figure in what looks like a large coat and top hat. It feels like a quickly jotted idea. What can we learn about the materials and process that went into creating this sketch? Curator: Notice how the artist uses the pencil to build up layers, suggesting form through density of line. Was this preparatory work for a larger piece? The paper itself, its texture and availability, would influence the artist's process. Editor: So the material constraints shaped the work itself? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the social context: Who had access to quality drawing materials? Hunt's means would dictate the scale and detail. Editor: That makes me see the sketch in a completely different light. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Examining materiality allows us to deconstruct art's creation and consumption.