An Ecorché Carrying a Shield 

Editor: This is John Hamilton Mortimer’s "An Ecorché Carrying a Shield." The exposed musculature is striking, but the shield feels…unfinished, almost an afterthought. What do you make of this combination? Curator: It’s interesting you say that. Anatomical studies like this were common, but Mortimer's inclusion of the shield transforms it. It’s no longer just science; it implies purpose, perhaps a commentary on the idealized, masculine hero and the societal pressures of strength and protection. Do you think it elevates or diminishes the figure? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but I think it elevates it; it makes the figure a symbol of something larger than simply anatomy. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's a reminder that even the most technical studies can be interpreted through a socio-political lens.