Female Head, for "Miriam the Prophetess" 1821

Curator: This is Washington Allston's "Female Head, for 'Miriam the Prophetess'," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Her gaze is so direct, almost challenging. There’s a raw, unfinished quality that gives it a real sense of presence. Curator: Allston, a key figure in American Romanticism, likely created this charcoal sketch as a study for a larger, never-completed painting about the biblical Miriam. Editor: It feels so immediate, so vulnerable. I wonder, what was it like to sit for Allston? Did she feel as seen as I feel looking at her now? Curator: Allston sought to capture not just likeness but inner spirit, aligning with the Romantic era’s focus on emotion. Editor: It's a testament to the power of a simple sketch. A single face, holding so much history and feeling. Curator: Indeed, and it invites us to consider how artists throughout time have grappled with representing the divine feminine. Editor: A thought to hold as we move on, perhaps carrying her gaze with us.