Caroline Hunt Rimmer in Parlor at Home 1867 - 1869

Editor: This is William Rimmer's sketch, "Caroline Hunt Rimmer in Parlor at Home." It's hard to pinpoint a date, but the quick strokes give it such immediacy. What catches your eye about it? Curator: The speed and economy of line reveal not just the subject, but the artist's process. The paper itself, its quality and availability, shaped what he could achieve. Notice also how her dress dominates. Editor: You mean how the fabric takes up so much of the sketch? Curator: Precisely. The texture of the fabric, the social position it implies, and the very labor involved in its creation, all become central to understanding the work, perhaps even more than Caroline herself. Editor: I hadn’t considered that. So, the material tells the story in a way? Curator: Yes, the materials and how they are rendered are integral to the narrative.