Marilyn Miller 1927

Curator: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross's sketch "Marilyn Miller," a pencil drawing from 1927. Editor: It feels incredibly geometric, almost like a technical diagram rather than a portrait. There is a radiating pattern with the woman's head at its center. Curator: Yes, the visible construction lines are key. Ross uses line and symmetry not just to depict Miller, but to reveal the underlying structure of form itself. The angles create a visual echo of her inherent symmetry. Editor: In its time, the name "Marilyn" would certainly have had potent symbolic weight, suggesting beauty, fame, and a particular kind of feminine ideal. Curator: Perhaps. But to me, the drawing is less about celebrity and more about the artist's attempt to uncover universal principles of order and proportion. Editor: Perhaps, but Ross certainly knew that this woman embodies the archetypes of celebrity. A radiant center, both literally and figuratively. Curator: It is a fascinating piece, whether approached through the lens of formal abstraction or iconic representation. Editor: Indeed, it reveals how an image becomes layered with both artistic intent and cultural projection.