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Editor: This undated pencil sketch by Charles Martin, held in the Tate, portrays a woman seated with a book. It feels so intimate, almost like a glimpse into a private moment. What stands out to you about this work? Curator: Consider the materiality; it's just pencil on paper. This speaks volumes about accessibility and the means of artistic production in Martin's time. Was drawing a means to an end, a study for something grander, or a finished product in itself? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about its function in that way. Curator: The artist's labor is so apparent here. We can almost see the hand moving across the page. Does this immediacy change how you view more polished portraits from the same era? Editor: It does. I see how the process informs the final piece. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: The social context of readily available materials shaping artmaking practices really opens up our understanding, doesn't it?