Standing and Seated Figures and Ducks; verso: Studies of a Boy and Girl Holding Hands 19th-20th century

Curator: This is "Standing and Seated Figures and Ducks" by William Valentine Schevill, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a captivating sketch. Editor: It feels like looking into someone's dream – disjointed, ephemeral, with that central figure anchoring the chaos. Curator: Indeed. The composition is intriguing. Schevill seems to be exploring themes of rural life and communal gathering. Note the ducks, a frequent motif. Editor: The repetition and variation in the marks create a subtle rhythm. See how the hatching on the woman's dress echoes in the fence lines below. Curator: We can interpret this work through the lens of late 19th-century anxieties about industrialization, with Schevill perhaps romanticizing simpler, agrarian existence. Editor: Or, perhaps, it is a personal study. The way he uses the whole sheet, filling it with images, suggests a mind brimming with visual ideas. Curator: A compelling piece for discussion. Editor: Agreed. It leaves a lasting impression.