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Editor: This small, untitled sketch by Sir George Howland Beaumont features several faces drawn in graphite. It’s quite rough, almost like a study. What can you tell me about Beaumont's process here? Curator: The immediacy suggests a focus on the very act of drawing. Consider the paper itself – its texture, its absorbency of the graphite. Beaumont isn't aiming for a polished product, but rather exploring the physical capabilities of the materials at hand. Editor: So, more about the "how" than the "what?" Curator: Precisely. Think about the availability of sketching materials in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This wasn't mass-produced paper and perfectly refined graphite. This materiality informs the sketch's aesthetic. Editor: I never thought about the paper itself being so important. Thanks! Curator: Seeing the art as a material object changes everything, doesn't it?