Head of a Woman 19th-20th century

Curator: This is James Carroll Beckwith's "Head of a Woman," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It strikes me immediately as something fragile, almost fleeting, rendered with such delicate shading. Curator: Notice how Beckwith captures a certain moment, a turn of the head that evokes classical ideals of beauty, yet feels very modern. The woman’s gaze is direct, yet contemplative. Editor: I'm also drawn to the medium itself. The charcoal seems almost layered, building depth. How might its materiality inform our understanding of the sitter’s social standing? Curator: I see that in the way the soft charcoal creates an almost dreamlike quality. It lends the woman an ethereal grace. Editor: It makes me wonder about the labor involved in creating the paper itself, the sourcing of the charcoal, and the social networks within which Beckwith operated to obtain these materials. Curator: Perhaps the image is a reflection of inner grace, made visible through skilled craftsmanship. Editor: Indeed. It invites contemplation on both the sitter’s persona and the physical processes that brought her image into being.