Portrait of a Man 1905

Curator: Here we have Antonio Mancini’s "Portrait of a Man," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Mancini was born in 1852 and died in 1930. Editor: The charcoal smudges feel almost violent. Like the sitter is dissolving before our eyes, rendered immaterial. Curator: Mancini was working within an era of intense artistic experimentation, and you see this approach reflected in the handling of the materials. He was celebrated, but also criticized for such expressionistic flourishes. Editor: It's about more than just technique. The very subject seems trapped by the quick, nervous marks. I wonder about the social pressures bearing down on this man. Curator: Yes, it leaves us pondering the weight of societal expectations during the late 19th century. Editor: A poignant image. Its fragmented form reveals more than a polished likeness ever could.