Morning Quiet 1920

Curator: Arthur Bowen Davies created this drawing, "Morning Quiet," and it now resides at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It strikes me as ethereal, almost dreamlike. The figures seem to float in the space. Curator: Davies often used this pastel-like medium to create a sense of lightness and otherworldly beauty. The visible marks of the artist's hand really emphasize its creation. Editor: The figures, these nymphs, evoke classical imagery. They resonate with a sense of purity, or perhaps an idealized vision of feminine beauty. Curator: Consider the paper itself, its likely high rag content, a luxury product suggesting a patron of means or aspiration to elevate his craft. Editor: It does feel timeless, doesn't it? A quiet moment captured through symbolic figures in a hazy, undefined landscape. Curator: Davies masterfully used readily available materials to depict what were considered desirable subjects at the time. Editor: I think it really captures a feeling of serene contemplation. Curator: Indeed, the art making process itself contributes to this, as the artist engages and transforms materials to create these iconic forms. Editor: It definitely gives you something to think about.