President Coolidge 1925

This portrait of President Coolidge was made by Dwight Case Sturges, who was born in 1874. You know, it’s funny to think about how artists choose their subjects, like, what made Sturges want to capture Coolidge? Maybe he admired him, or maybe it was just a commission, a job. Either way, I’m curious about the process: the delicate hatching and cross-hatching that give the print depth. Look at the way Sturges uses line to define Coolidge's features. It’s almost like he’s mapping the landscape of the president’s face, capturing a likeness but also something more elusive. I wonder what Coolidge thought of it? Did he see himself in those lines? Probably not. Ultimately, this print reminds me that art is always a conversation, a dialogue between the artist, the subject, and us, the viewers. And that’s pretty cool, right?