Two Studies of a Female Nude c. 20th century

Curator: Here we have Gaston Lachaise's "Two Studies of a Female Nude," currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It strikes me as so raw, almost confrontational in its sketchiness. What material did he use? Curator: It's a graphite on paper work, and you can see how he’s exploring idealized feminine forms, almost mother-goddess figures. Editor: Graphite lends itself to that immediacy. I'm thinking of the labor involved, the quickness, the sheer economy of line. It's about capturing essence, I suppose. Curator: Exactly, this is Lachaise exploring the symbolic weight of the female form, its history and emotional resonance. Editor: It makes me wonder about the model, her own experiences, translated through Lachaise's hand and the very substance of graphite. Curator: It’s a fascinating intersection. Editor: Indeed. Both ethereal and grounded, I think.