Seated Dog with Ball c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have Edward Martin Taber's "Seated Dog with Ball," a charming little drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so intimate, like a stolen moment. What's your take? Curator: Ah, yes, a fleeting glimpse of canine contemplation. It's the immediacy of the sketch that sings to me. Do you see how the hatching behind the dog creates a halo effect, almost spiritual? Editor: Spiritual? I mostly see a furry friend waiting for a game. Curator: Perhaps, but isn't waiting a form of meditation? The ball becomes its mantra. It makes me wonder, what are we waiting for, really? Editor: I guess I hadn't thought of it that way. I just wanted to boop his nose. Curator: Art's funny like that, isn't it? It makes you want to boop noses and contemplate the universe, all at once.