Reclining Male Nude 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross's "Reclining Male Nude," a pencil drawing. I’m struck by the artist's attention to the contours of the figure. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Consider the paper itself. What kind is it? Its texture, its source? That informs the marks Ross chose to make. Was this paper expensive, or readily available? Editor: That's a great point, I hadn't considered it. It does seem like a quick study, perhaps on more economical paper, allowing for experimentation without the pressure of a finished work. Curator: Precisely. The immediacy afforded by accessible materials allows us to see the artist’s hand at work, revealing the labor and process behind the image. Editor: I see, so the materiality allows a different level of access to the artist's process. Thanks!