Studies of a Seated and Standing Woman; verso: Studies of a Seated Woman and a Man 19th-20th century

Editor: This is William Valentine Schevill’s "Studies of a Seated and Standing Woman." It appears to be a graphite sketch. I notice how the details in her dress are emphasized, and I wonder what those details suggest. What stands out to you? Curator: The visible labor of rendering those complex fabric folds really grounds us in the social reality of the time. Consider the production and consumption cycle inherent in such elaborate garments. Editor: So, you’re saying the dress itself provides a context? Curator: Exactly. The means of depicting it, the graphite on paper, emphasizes a specific way of seeing and understanding class and material culture. How might its value as a study differ from that of a finished painting? Editor: I never considered the social implications of rendering fabric before. Thanks for the insight!