Sketch of David with Left Arm Behind Head 1918

Curator: Denman Waldo Ross sketched this "Sketch of David with Left Arm Behind Head," using graphite on paper. Editor: It's so spare, so economical in line. There's a languid, almost melancholic feel to the figure, wouldn't you say? Curator: Absolutely. Ross was a fascinating figure himself, a collector and Harvard professor who championed design principles based on Japanese art. This sketch likely served as an academic exercise, exploring form and balance. Editor: Notice the almost casual pose, the way he supports his weight on one leg, hand on his hip. It's a very self-aware stance; even in a quick sketch, the artist suggests a certain type of masculinity. Curator: The Harvard Art Museums acquired this piece, demonstrating the institutional embrace of Ross's pedagogical approach. It speaks to the role of academic study in shaping artistic tastes of the time. Editor: A beautiful intersection of the body as subject and object. Curator: Precisely. A lens into art as a study of a figure, and the historical moment that formed the piece.