[title not known] Verso: Sketches of Heads and Shoulders 

Curator: Here we have a drawing by Charles Martin, born in 1812 and who died in 1906. It's titled "Verso: Sketches of Heads and Shoulders," rendered in pen and brown ink on paper. Editor: It feels incomplete, almost ephemeral, but I'm drawn to the sitter's direct gaze; it evokes a sense of quiet introspection. Curator: Martin was working within a society that privileged portraiture to convey social status. But consider how this sketch subverts those expectations. Editor: Yes, it's not about capturing likeness, but suggesting a psychological state. The unfinished quality perhaps mirrors the fluid nature of identity itself. Curator: And the loose strokes, especially in the rendering of the clothing, hint at the performative aspects of social roles, costumes, and the expectations they carry. Editor: Looking at it, I feel that Martin encourages us to look beyond the surface and to consider the individual complexities that were present during that time.