Baby with Dummy c. 1898

Editor: This is Horace Mann Livens' "Baby with Dummy," from the Tate collection. The chalk drawing feels so intimate, like a quick glimpse. What do you see in this work? Curator: The pacifier is fascinating; an ancient symbol of comfort, here rendered with modern materials. The child, swaddled, evokes images of early icons of the infant Christ, yet grounded in everyday reality. How does that tension resonate with you? Editor: I guess I see the baby’s dependence mirrored in the visual language of earlier religious works. It’s unexpected, but it makes sense. Curator: Indeed, cultural memory persists. Even in this fleeting sketch, layers of meaning are embedded within the familiar image of a child. It’s a reminder that symbols evolve. Editor: That gives me a new appreciation for how images can carry more than just a literal representation.