Female Nude c. 20th century

Editor: This is Gaston Lachaise’s drawing "Female Nude," currently at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm struck by the simplicity of the line, yet the figure feels so monumental. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Notice how Lachaise uses line to define form and volume. It's a seemingly simple sketch, but the process of reduction is significant. How does the means of production, pencil on paper, affect our interpretation compared to, say, bronze? Editor: That's interesting; the sketch feels more immediate, more about the artist's hand than the final "product." Curator: Precisely. It invites us to consider the labor involved, the artist's process of translating the body into a series of lines. The paper itself becomes a crucial part of the work. Editor: That makes me see it in a completely new light! Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, thinking about the material process really enriches our understanding.