Sketch for "The Discoverer" Fresco, Assembly Chamber, State Capitol, Albany, New York 1878

Curator: This is William Morris's sketch for "The Discoverer," a fresco intended for the New York State Capitol. Editor: It feels like a dream, murky and unsettled. The figures are barely there, emerging from the gloom. Curator: Exactly. Notice how Morris uses broad strokes of charcoal to suggest movement and form. It's all suggestion, really. Editor: The composition—the arc above, the horizontal lines—creates a contained drama, a journey into the unknown held within boundaries. Curator: The fresco never materialized, but this sketch retains a potent energy. The very act of discovery, of reaching for something new, is caught here. Editor: In a way, it's more powerful than a finished work could be. It's raw, unresolved. We’re invited to finish the story. Curator: A glimpse into Morris's creative process, then, and a testament to the enduring allure of unfulfilled potential. Editor: Leaving us to wonder about all the discoveries that remain sketches in our own minds.