M. Marcotte, after Ingres 1930s

Curator: This drawing, "M. Marcotte, after Ingres," is by Jean Charlot. It’s a study, really, and rendered in delicate graphite on paper. Doesn't it almost feel like you could reach out and smudge the lines? Editor: It has a ghostly, unfinished quality that intrigues me. The lack of eyes makes me think about how portraiture often defines identity, and what happens when that gaze is removed, almost like an act of defiance. Curator: Exactly! It’s a copy of Ingres, but Charlot’s touch, or lack thereof, gives it this beautifully vulnerable presence. Perhaps it’s a reflection on how we internalize and rework the masters? Editor: Or even a commentary on the male gaze itself, by literally erasing it from the portrait. We’re left contemplating masculinity, power, and the very act of seeing. Curator: I love that reading. It adds layers of complexity to what might initially seem like a simple exercise. Editor: Absolutely. It’s a reminder that even in imitation, there's room for subversion.