Nathaniel Southgate Shaler (1841-1906) 1908

Editor: Here we have Joseph DeCamp’s portrait of Nathaniel Southgate Shaler. I'm struck by the somber mood, almost like a charcoal drawing. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, the monochrome does lend a gravity, doesn't it? Look at the hands, though. There's a sensitivity there, a gentleness that belies the severe academic robe. It makes me wonder about the man behind the image, the life he led. What stories do you think those hands could tell? Editor: That's beautiful, a silent narrative in his hands. It gives the portrait a fresh perspective. Curator: Exactly! Art's not just about what’s shown, but what's whispered.