Male Nude with Left Leg Drawn Up 1918

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s “Male Nude with Left Leg Drawn Up,” a pencil drawing. It's interesting, almost clinical with those geometric lines. How should we interpret the work? Curator: I see it as an interrogation of the male gaze itself. Ross uses geometry—a tool of supposed objectivity—to dissect and, in a way, control the male form, but he's still participating in a tradition of nude art. How does that tension make you feel? Editor: It's uncomfortable. It makes me think about power dynamics and who gets to look at whom. Curator: Exactly! It's a glimpse into the historical codification of looking, and who has historically held the power in that exchange. It's quite telling of Ross's time. Editor: This gives me a lot to consider. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, it also allows us to discuss how we can challenge our own ingrained biases.