Folio recto: Blank; verso: Muscovy Duck c. 18th century

Curator: Looking at this drawing, I find a quiet elegance. What do you see? Editor: "Muscovy Duck" by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. First thought? It's got that "just woke up" look, like I caught it mid-preen. Curator: Note the deliberate choice to isolate the subject. Oudry emphasizes the duck's form through meticulous detail and tonal variation. Editor: Absolutely, that rendering of its plumage is remarkable. The texture! But that stark background really throws the duck into sharp relief. Is it simply about scientific accuracy? Curator: Perhaps, but the composition speaks to more than mere observation. There is a tension created by the negative space. Editor: I get that. Makes you wonder what else was happening just outside the frame. Adds a touch of narrative mystery, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. A beautiful intersection of art and natural history, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Definitely. Makes me appreciate looking at ducks in a whole new light.