Two Male Portrait Sketches; verso: Two Landscapes 1860

Editor: This is "Two Male Portrait Sketches; verso: Two Landscapes" by Sanford Robinson Gifford. It's a small graphite drawing. The sketches feel fleeting and immediate. What does this work say to you? Curator: Well, the quick graphite marks reveal Gifford's process. Consider the material limitations: graphite as a readily available, relatively inexpensive medium. How does the accessibility of the material democratize art-making, even for a celebrated artist? Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn't considered the economics of art materials at the time. It makes you wonder about who had access to create. Curator: Exactly! And even the verso showing landscapes is telling; it underscores the importance of the relationship of art to everyday life. This was a means of production as much as a fine art piece. Editor: Thanks, I see it differently now.