Sketches of Figures; verso: Hill and Ocean 1864

Editor: Here we have Sanford Robinson Gifford’s "Sketches of Figures; verso: Hill and Ocean." It's undated but the quick pencil strokes give it such an ephemeral, fleeting quality. What catches your eye in this intimate little sketchbook page? Curator: It feels like a visual whisper, doesn't it? For me, it's the lonely figure facing the vast ocean. I wonder what Gifford was feeling at that moment. What was he searching for on that horizon? Editor: It's interesting that you see loneliness; I initially saw peaceful contemplation, though maybe they’re two sides of the same coin. Curator: Indeed! And isn't that the beauty of art? It holds a mirror to our own souls. Gifford gives us space to project our own experiences onto that little sketch. Editor: Absolutely! I'm left wondering about the stories behind these sketches, now more than ever.