Tree Roots 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have William Trost Richards' drawing "Tree Roots" from the Harvard Art Museums. It's a detailed graphite sketch, and the roots have such a tangled, exposed quality. What do you make of it? Curator: It feels almost like a portrait, doesn't it? Richards is really zeroing in on the character of this one thing. He’s looking past the picturesque and finding beauty in the everyday, even in something…gnarled. I wonder, what is the emotional resonance for you? Editor: I suppose there's a sense of resilience. Even exposed, these roots persist. I hadn't thought about it as a portrait, but that gives me a lot to consider. Curator: Exactly! It nudges us to find our own resilience. It's wonderful how art can whisper such simple yet profound truths, isn't it?