I Dreamt I Saw Thee Robed in Purple Flakes 1885

Curator: Here we have Will Hicock Low's "I Dreamt I Saw Thee Robed in Purple Flakes," an 1885 drawing now residing at The Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: The luminosity is quite striking; it feels ethereal. There's almost a filmic quality to the figure set against the light rays. The tones are also masterfully subtle. Curator: Indeed. The work employs gouache, watercolor, and charcoal—a blend yielding soft gradations. It seems the artist built layer upon layer to create the radiant background effect. This serves to set off the almost academically drawn nude. Editor: Speaking of the figure, one is drawn to consider what it actually signifies. This almost certainly involves laborious stages of underdrawing before even getting to the addition of colour, what exactly does it say that the labor and materials contribute to this ideal? Curator: The figure is, of course, a symbolic representation. Note the caduceus—wings on the sandals as well. We can certainly propose that this drawing contains mythological allusion; perhaps Hermes, or a similar psychopomp, guiding or inspiring? Editor: It could be, but such classical and mythological allusions also played roles in the late 19th-century symbolic lexicon. If it's an allegory, is it one about wealth, commerce, freedom, aspiration or something altogether more personal to the artist, and how do materials contribute to that intention? Curator: Precisely. It exists in that intriguing liminal space between overt symbolism and personal artistic expression. The narrative invites contemplation but remains elusive. Its impact lies not only in what is shown, but how, with meticulous detail creating visual allure. Editor: Ultimately, it's fascinating to consider the way this particular choice of artistic labor intertwines in the material itself, prompting dialogue on what is communicated via figure and ground and process of building each. Curator: Agreed. It showcases the artist's meticulous method of harmonizing visual elements to spark reflection about idealized form, combined with complex semiotic potential, through relatively accessible processes. Editor: A thought-provoking blend that uses modest processes to ask some significant, enduring questions.