S. Curat del Vallas; verso: Bell Tower 19th-20th century

Curator: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross’s small pencil drawing, “S. Curat del Vallas; verso: Bell Tower,” currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so delicate! Like a faded memory captured in the softest graphite. Curator: Indeed. Ross was an avid traveler and collector, and this sketch likely documents one of his European excursions. I find it fascinating how the artist rendered the architectural forms. Editor: There’s a sense of stillness in the image. It makes me wonder about the stories held within those walls, the lives lived in the shadow of that bell tower. Curator: Precisely, the piece offers a quiet meditation on history, place, and the gaze of the traveler. Editor: And maybe a quiet reminder that even the most solid structures are but fleeting impressions. Curator: An important consideration, thank you.