[Seated Man in Top Hat] 1919

Editor: This is Lesser Ury's "Seated Man in Top Hat," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. The stark blacks and whites create such a melancholic mood, and I'm curious about the artist's intentions. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Note how the artist uses contrasting values to define form, particularly the sitter's attire. Observe the structure within the composition: the interplay between light and shadow, the balance of masses. The artist has created a semiotic relation through an understanding of pictorial balance. Editor: I think I understand now, thank you! Curator: Indeed, a close reading shows how artistic decisions around composition and the materiality create meaning.