Figure of a Woman Seated with her Back Turned (Study for the Eritrean Sybil) c. 16th century

Curator: This drawing, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, is entitled "Figure of a Woman Seated with her Back Turned," a study by Paolo Veronese for his Eritrean Sybil. Editor: There’s a strange, almost haunting beauty to the line work, a vulnerable grace in the way her back is turned. Curator: Veronese, born in 1528, was a master of the Venetian Renaissance, celebrated for his use of color and grand theatrical compositions. Editor: You know, it’s interesting to see this preparatory sketch. The looseness of the lines, the visible searching… it makes the eventual finished work feel somehow less inevitable, more human. Curator: The “Sybil” paintings were often commissioned by wealthy patrons for display in their villas, reflecting the era’s interest in classical antiquity. Editor: Funny, though—the sketch feels more modern than the finished piece probably did. The way he captures the fall of the fabric, the curve of her spine… it’s almost impressionistic. Curator: Indeed. The study gives insight into his process, the steps he took to achieve the polished effect. Editor: It reveals the artist in process, experimenting. What a treat to witness a master at work.