15. Table XV. Combination of the Features of the Cheerful 

Editor: This is *Table XV. Combination of the Features of the Cheerful*, by Alexander Cozens. It feels almost like a study in lines, focusing on the profile. What do you make of the composition? Curator: Notice how Cozens reduces the face to its most essential lines, almost a semiotic representation. The composition hinges on the interplay between the curves of the hair and the delicate angles of the face. The artist meticulously outlines the contours of the head, employing line to define form and expression. Editor: So, it's about the relationship between those specific lines and shapes? Curator: Precisely. The formal arrangement and rhythmic quality of the lines suggest a deliberate construction, a study in achieving a specific emotional quality through purely formal means. A focus on shape, rather than any inherent symbolism. Editor: That's fascinating. It makes me see the drawing in a completely new light.