Standing Sketch of David 1925

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Standing Sketch of David," a pencil drawing. I notice these angular lines in the background and wonder how they inform the figure's form. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The male nude has historically been a site of power and control, often excluding non-normative bodies. Ross's sketch, while seemingly classical, exists within a specific historical context of early 20th-century art education. How does it engage with or challenge traditional representations of the male form? Editor: I see a tension between the ideal and the real – the sketch is rough, immediate, not idealized. Curator: Exactly! It prompts us to question the power structures inherent in depicting the body and to consider whose bodies are valorized and why. It seems like David could be anyone. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding art history and its relationship to social issues! Curator: Indeed. Hopefully, we can consider who this "David" is in relation to the artist and our own historical context.