Male Nude Seated in Profile 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Denman Waldo Ross's pencil drawing "Male Nude Seated in Profile," currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like a study, with the underlying geometric grid still visible. What stands out to you? Curator: The grid reveals the academic process of figure drawing and the formal training that was popularized through institutions. How does seeing the nude form within this structure influence your interpretation? Editor: It makes me think about power dynamics, maybe? The male gaze and the objectification of the male form. Curator: Exactly. The drawing’s existence in a museum setting furthers that dialogue. What are the implications when we display the human form in this way? Editor: So, it's not just the figure itself, but where we see it that shapes its meaning. That's a fascinating perspective!