Albanian c. 1849 - 1851

Curator: Whistler’s sketch, “Albanian,” at the Harvard Art Museums, captures a figure with quick, almost frenetic lines, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, the immediacy is striking. You can almost feel the scratch of the pen on the paper. The simplicity of the materials—pen and ink on paper—really emphasizes the artist's hand. Curator: The rapid strokes, for me, suggest a capturing of essence, of a fleeting impression of “Albanian-ness,” and the figure’s garb becomes symbolic, a marker of identity and perhaps even a romanticized notion of the “other.” Editor: I wonder about the availability of paper and ink, though. Whistler was known for his prints; a sketch like this likely served a specific, perhaps preliminary, function within his larger production. It's a record of labor. Curator: True, but consider the power of suggestion here. That head covering, those implied layers of clothing… they tell a story of cultural distinction, even in their incompleteness. Editor: It is interesting how such a sparse method can convey a sense of otherness. It brings to mind the politics of representation, the consumption of culture through image-making. Curator: Ultimately, it's a reminder of how artists distill cultural information into these potent visual shorthand symbols. Editor: And how the materials and methods used profoundly shape the message we receive.