Sketch of Children Under an Umbrella 19th-20th century

Curator: Here we have William Valentine Schevill's "Sketch of Children Under an Umbrella," held in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's so fleeting, a captured moment. The texture of the paper itself feels fragile, intimate, like a page torn from a personal sketchbook. Curator: The umbrella is a potent symbol. Shelter, obviously, but also protection from the world’s harshness, especially poignant when paired with childhood innocence. Editor: And consider the graphite – its accessibility, its commonness. This wasn’t about high art pretension, but about immediate expression. What did Schevill have to hand? What was at his disposal? Curator: I agree. There’s a universal quality here, this image evokes a shared memory of seeking refuge from the elements. Editor: Ultimately, it's the raw simplicity that resonates. It reminds us that art doesn't always need grand materials or complex narratives to touch us. Curator: Precisely, the image lingers because it whispers to the heart, stirring memories of simpler times.