Man with Pack, Dresden 1880

Curator: Immediately, I’m struck by the intimacy of this pencil drawing. It feels like a fleeting moment captured with such tenderness. Editor: And here we have Louis Michel Eilshemius’s "Man with Pack, Dresden," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Eilshemius, who lived from 1864 to 1941, gives us a peek into his travels with this small but evocative work. Curator: It's interesting to consider the man's pack in the context of labor and migration, especially within the visual language of the time. What burdens does he carry, both literally and figuratively? Editor: Eilshemius, though largely self-taught, engaged with impressionism and post-impressionism. Looking at his work, one has to consider how artists were depicting everyday life and the working class at the turn of the century. Curator: Absolutely. And I think viewing this through a contemporary lens, we can unpack the power dynamics inherent in the representation of labor and the male gaze. Editor: Indeed. Considering how these drawings function within the wider narrative of Eilshemius's career really adds another layer to our understanding. Curator: I will be sure to give that thought.