Arm and slit bodice 

Editor: Here we have "Arm and slit bodice," a drawing by Victor Müller, origin unknown, done in pencil and chalk on paper. What immediately strikes me is how he renders the fabric, the soft folds and highlights suggest a real understanding of materiality. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Looking at the texture, achieved through the dry media on paper, leads me to think about the production of academic art. The materiality speaks to the process – a student honing skills, most likely copying from a model in a studio. Can we consider this study a work of art in itself, outside its intended purpose of skill-building? Editor: That's interesting. So, you’re suggesting that we see value not just in the image itself, but also in the act of creation and the materials used? Considering it beyond a simple study? Curator: Precisely! Think about the paper – its preparation, its cost. Pencil and chalk weren't simply available. These materials represent a deliberate choice and investment. Furthermore, the "slit bodice" points to clothing production, labor and the economics surrounding it. Editor: I never really considered those elements when looking at sketches, the connection of the process of drawing itself as important, almost more important than the intended image, really reframes it for me. Curator: Yes. These kinds of material constraints and deliberate choices always shape the final outcome of any art object, including, or maybe especially, preparatory sketches. Editor: I’m going to pay closer attention to materials going forward; this has really expanded how I see drawings! Curator: Me too; thinking about the labour, economy, and materiality makes us consider its cultural relevance within our present context.