Boy Holding a Sword, Standing near a Table in an Interior; verso: Various Sketches of Figures and Ornamental Forms 1600 - 1700

Art Historian: I see you've chosen "Boy Holding a Sword," a drawing from sometime in the 17th century, at least that’s what they are guessing over here at the Met. Editor: Yes! It’s so understated, almost shy. I’m struck by how...casual it feels, for a Baroque portrait. The boy, the table... How do you interpret this drawing? What does it suggest to you? Art Historian: Well, for me, it's a delicious little mystery. The immediacy of the sketch suggests someone trying to capture a fleeting moment. Look at how the artist uses the pencil lines so tentatively around his sleeves. It speaks volumes. And I keep wondering, doesn't this kid remind you of a still-life painting somehow? Do you feel that also? Editor: Now that you point it out, yeah, the boy *does* have this kind of inanimate, stoic quality. It's just he has this amazing, piercing gaze. Does the sword mean anything to you? Art Historian: A sword implies nobility, maybe even a swagger he doesn't quite own yet. He looks…unsure about what is going on with his life! Perhaps this wasn’t a commission. Maybe it’s just the artist toying with ideas about identity, ambition. The verso, they said there are doodles on the back, right? Maybe it's just a page out of their sketchbook, nothing too grand? Editor: The artist really just wanted to sketch the reality of the kid, huh? I am glad I noticed the same mood, the tentativeness of the kid himself. Art Historian: It reminds us that art isn’t always about grand statements, sometimes it's about gentle explorations. Beautiful, really!