Study for the Figure of Saint Anthony in "Christ Risen with Saints Anthony and James the Greater" c. 1820

Curator: Here we see Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar's preparatory drawing, "Study for the Figure of Saint Anthony," now housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The drawing offers an intimate look into Wicar's artistic process. Editor: There's something so vulnerable and raw about this sketch. I'm immediately struck by the grid underneath the figure; it seems to symbolize the constraints put upon individuals by systems of power. Curator: Indeed, the grid reveals the artist's method of transferring and scaling his design. The materiality is humble – pencil on paper – yet it represents the foundation for a much larger, presumably, more 'finished' artwork. Editor: I think viewing this as a 'precursor' diminishes it. The unfinished quality makes me consider the role of labor, the unseen hours poured into perfecting religious imagery. Curator: I agree, seeing the underdrawing brings a new perspective to the finished composition. Thank you, this has been fascinating. Editor: Yes, a look at how power dynamics subtly manifest in the very process of creation.