3. Portrait of James Boswell 

Curator: This is Sir Thomas Lawrence's sketch, "Portrait of James Boswell," currently held at the Tate. Editor: Striking! Such raw energy, captured in mere lines. The furrowed brow, the set jaw... a man of intensity. Curator: Indeed. Lawrence composed this likeness entirely from memory. It speaks to the lasting impression Boswell, the biographer of Samuel Johnson, must have made. Editor: Memory is key here; it’s not just a likeness but an impression. Notice how the severe contour and shading around the eye sockets could suggest the weight of his intellectual pursuits. Curator: Or the societal pressures he faced, given the era’s rigid class structures and expectations surrounding masculinity and scholarly life. Boswell was a complex character, constantly negotiating his position. Editor: Absolutely, and Lawrence distills that essence through symbolic brevity. The rapid strokes almost seem to hint at an internal struggle. Curator: A powerful visualization of a man grappling with his identity. Editor: A memorable face, masterfully recalled.