[title not known] 

Curator: This drawing, attributed to Elizabeth Rigby, currently lacks a title. It's a portrait sketch held in the Tate Collections, rendered on a support measuring 376 by 276 millimeters. Editor: It has such a delicate, almost ethereal quality. The light touch of the pencil creates a really intimate feel. Curator: Indeed. Rigby's handling of line and shadow constructs a very balanced composition, especially the way the light models his face. Editor: I'm curious about the paper itself. Its texture must have influenced the way Rigby built up those tones. Was this a commercially produced paper? How readily available would such a paper have been? Curator: A pertinent point. It's also interesting to consider how this portrait, a seemingly straightforward depiction, challenges the traditional hierarchy of artistic materials. Editor: Right. The labor and the materials speak quietly. I appreciate how its simplicity allows for this kind of scrutiny. Curator: I agree. It invites us to look beyond the surface and consider the underlying structure. Editor: And maybe even ponder about the stories behind its making.