Study for "Free!" 1863

Curator: This is Henry Louis Stephens' "Study for 'Free!'", a watercolor and graphite work currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's powerfully emotive, even in this small scale. The figure's dynamic pose, reaching upwards, speaks of liberation but also a sense of struggle. Curator: Absolutely. Stephens, working in a period of intense social upheaval, used his art to reflect on themes of freedom and the realities of labor. Note how the tattered clothing contrasts sharply with the figure’s muscular form. Editor: The artist's choice of medium, watercolor, creates a sense of transience, almost as if the moment of freedom is fleeting. The upward thrust of the body is very evocative, like a prayer. Curator: Indeed, the material fragility emphasizes the precariousness of freedom in a society built on exploitation. Stephens invites us to consider the cost of liberation, the material conditions of its achievement. Editor: A truly compelling study. The limited palette heightens the raw emotion, focusing our attention on the figure's expressive form and the symbolism embedded in his posture. Curator: A potent reminder that art is always entwined with the social and material conditions of its making.