Crouching Male Nude from Above 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have a pencil sketch titled "Crouching Male Nude from Above" by Denman Waldo Ross, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The intersecting lines suggest a geometric study. What do you make of this, looking at the materiality and process? Curator: It's interesting how the artist uses the very act of drawing to investigate form, reducing the figure to lines and planes. Notice the handwritten notations alongside the figure. Editor: Yes, what does the writing indicate about the artist's labor or intent? Curator: It suggests a process of active construction, where observation and notation merge. The means of production, the pencil on paper, become tools for dissecting and understanding the human form, and communicating his intentions. Editor: So, it’s not just a study of the body, but also a record of the artist's thinking? That's a useful perspective.