[title not known] Verso: Sketches of Heads 

Editor: This unassuming sketch, "Verso: Sketches of Heads" by Sir George Howland Beaumont, done on paper, feels like a quick study of social class. What can we learn from its making? Curator: Look closely at the paper itself. Its texture, its possible source. Was it readily available, or a luxury? The rapid pencil strokes speak to the artist's process, perhaps documenting observations of people within Beaumont's social environment. Editor: So, the material and the speed tell us something about Beaumont’s access and intent? Curator: Precisely. Consider the economic factors allowing Beaumont the leisure to sketch. The very act becomes a marker of social standing, doesn’t it? Editor: I hadn’t considered the paper itself as evidence. Curator: Art isn't just about the image, it's about the conditions of its creation and consumption.