Head of a Man in a Cloth Headdress 

Curator: Here we have John Hamilton Mortimer's "Head of a Man in a Cloth Headdress", held at the Tate. Editor: Wow, he looks weary, doesn't he? The rapid hatching and the downward gaze give him such a weight. Curator: Indeed. Note the dynamism inherent in the line work. The composition is carefully structured to emphasize the subject’s dejected posture. Editor: It’s like a quick thought, a fleeting moment. He’s there, and then, because of the lines, he's almost gone. Curator: The artist, Mortimer, who died so young, used the graphic medium to capture the psychological depth of his subjects, a trend emergent during the 18th century. Editor: I wonder what he was thinking about. He looks as though he’s carrying the world on his shoulders. Curator: A potent observation. Let's move on to the next piece.