Female Torso c. 1890 - 1891

John La Farge likely made this study of a Female Torso in the late nineteenth century, using pencil and watercolor on paper. The image is lightly drawn, an underdrawing perhaps for a more elaborate composition. What I find striking here is the artist's focus on the human body, but with a certain distance. La Farge was deeply engaged with the aesthetics of his time, yet there is an undeniable sense of his intellect being applied to the subject. The paper's surface bears faint traces, revealing that the artist’s hand, guided by his eye, moved and reworked the image to refine the contours of the figure. This study is a direct record of the artist's process, of labor rendered visible, and a reminder that even the most ethereal images have a material basis in skill and effort. It challenges distinctions between fine art and craft by focusing on how materials, making, and context affect our understanding.