Head of Wilfred Robert John Hawtrey, aged 18 months (study for "The Blessed Damozel") 1876

Curator: Rossetti's study, "Head of Wilfred Robert John Hawtrey, aged 18 months," offers a tender portrayal in graphite. The artwork is held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: There’s such a gentle quality to the rendering, almost ethereal. The curls seem to float around his face like cherubic wisps. Curator: Indeed. The soft hatching and delicate modeling showcase Rossetti's Pre-Raphaelite attention to detail, though here applied to a subject far removed from classical mythology. Editor: It's fascinating to see such precision dedicated to capturing something as fleeting as childhood innocence. Makes you wonder about the weight of expectation placed on such young shoulders, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. It offers a glimpse into Rossetti’s working method, seeing this intimate study informs so much about the final composition of his work. Editor: A tender study, it certainly leaves us with a lot to consider about capturing the human form.