Partial Study of a Chair; verso: Study of a Triangular Molding c. 1845 - 1847

Curator: Here we have Sanford Robinson Gifford's "Partial Study of a Chair; verso: Study of a Triangular Molding," a graphite sketch on paper, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's a tantalizing peek into the artist’s process – almost ghostly in its lightness. Curator: Absolutely. Think about the context: Gifford, known for his landscapes, turning his eye to the domestic. What does that say about 19th-century American ideals of home and craftsmanship? Editor: Perhaps a critique of the rigid Victorian structures, both architectural and social, through the lens of the everyday object? The chair, usually a symbol of status, here rendered incomplete, vulnerable. Curator: That resonates. It invites us to question not just the object, but also the values it represents within the broader societal framework. Editor: It gives us a lot to consider, even within such a small piece. Curator: Indeed, a quiet revolution in graphite.