Sketch of a Head 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross’s "Sketch of a Head," housed here at Harvard. It’s a simple pencil drawing, almost ghostly, isn’t it? What do you make of it? Curator: Ghostly is perfect! It feels like a half-remembered dream. The geometric angles Ross uses, almost cubist, give the face structure, yet the lightness of the pencil keeps it ephemeral. What does that contrast suggest to you? Editor: Hmmm, maybe that even solid identities are fleeting? Curator: Precisely! And how wonderful is that? The sketch reminds us of the beauty in impermanence. Editor: I never thought a simple sketch could hold so much!