Study for Apollo 

Curator: This is Elihu Vedder’s “Study for Apollo,” a pencil drawing on paper. Editor: It feels both monumental and fragile at the same time, doesn't it? There’s a raw energy in those pencil strokes. You immediately get a sense of both the god-like figure and the labor in portraying him. Curator: Vedder was certainly deeply involved in the politics of imagery, aiming to revitalize classical themes for a modern audience. The “Study for Apollo,” although a sketch, gives you a glimpse into how academic art was being adapted to public tastes in the late 19th century. It is fascinating to view this now and recall the artistic climate in the art world. Editor: It’s intriguing to view the male figure, the classical god, through a feminist lens too. Here, the focus feels like it is the labor, in the draftsmanship, a contrast to the usual male gaze. The vulnerability of Apollo feels almost like a subversion of patriarchal norms. The composition makes you wonder whether Vedder struggled with depicting such an ideal. Curator: The academic traditions clearly informed Vedder’s perspective, the perfection and grace associated with neoclassical imagery remained the gold standard. These academic ideals are evident not only within the work, but extend into exhibition spaces too. You'll often find neoclassical imagery occupying a primary role and privileged position, and for some, an elevated place among a hierarchy of works on display. Editor: Exactly, the act of sketching, the artistic process— that can feel very disruptive and raw. It provides us a way to critique how traditional art history portrays masculinity. What this image also reveals to me is how socially conditioned notions of beauty are—especially for males who have traditionally been put under the microscope far less. Curator: Well, whatever he might have intended or struggled with, this study embodies a key moment in the evolution of art institutions and imagery, and what gets elevated within culture. Editor: Indeed, and how we continually question, interpret and often dismantle preconceived notions about what we inherit from that cultural lineage. I'll not look at Apollo the same way again.