Blank page; verso: Head of a Man c. 1758

Editor: This small drawing, "Blank page; verso: Head of a Man" by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, looks like a quick sketch in red chalk, almost faded. There’s something ghostly about it. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This drawing exists within the contentious history of the male gaze. The sketch, a mere fragment, invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in representation. How might we read this "head of a man" through a lens of gender and historical context? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. The incompleteness does leave it open to interpretation. Curator: Precisely. It challenges us to question whose stories are told and how. The Rococo period often idealized feminine beauty; is this a counterpoint, or something else entirely? Editor: It's fascinating to consider the drawing as part of a larger conversation about representation and power. Curator: Indeed. Art, even in its most fragmentary form, is a powerful tool for understanding our complex history.