Mechanical Device (rectangular construction with attachments) Possibly 1839 - 1843

Editor: Here we have Washington Allston's "Mechanical Device," a small pencil drawing. It seems like a simple technical sketch, but the longer I look, the more ambiguous it becomes. What do you see in this piece that might not be immediately obvious? Curator: Allston lived during a period of great social and technological change. How might this sketch, even in its ambiguity, reflect anxieties about the increasing mechanization of life and its impact on human identity? Editor: So, instead of a straightforward diagram, it's a commentary on the era? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe it's a reflection on the role of the artist in a changing world. Is the artist designing these machines, or are they observers, even victims, of their creation? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. Thanks! Curator: It invites us to think about who benefits from technology and at whose expense.