[title not known] Verso: Sketch 

Curator: This piece, attributed to Elizabeth Rigby and currently held in the Tate Collections, is titled "Verso: Sketch." There isn't a specified date. Editor: Oh, it feels like stepping into a daydream, doesn’t it? A princess lost in thought, rendered in sepia tones. I find myself wondering about the type of paper used and what the implications of drawing on the verso might be. Curator: Well, given Rigby's later role as Lady Eastlake, a prominent art critic and tastemaker, one can't help but wonder if this sketch was a private escape, a space where she could simply be, unburdened by expectation. Editor: Perhaps. Or maybe it served as a preliminary study, a testing ground for ideas. Note the meticulous detail in the architectural elements versus the softer rendering of the figure. Was she thinking about the structural support of art itself? Curator: I like that idea. It really does raise questions about where our gazes are drawn. It speaks to her future role, perhaps. A beautiful piece, regardless. Editor: Indeed, it's fascinating how a seemingly simple sketch can reveal layers of social context and artistic practice. I'd love to know where the paper came from.