Female Nude 19th-20th century

Editor: This is Gaston Lachaise’s "Female Nude," a drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a quick sketch, seemingly done with charcoal or graphite. What's striking is how the figure, though simply rendered, conveys a sense of volume and weight. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The emphasis here is on the act of drawing itself. Notice the visible grain of the paper, the smudging, and the very direct application of the medium. Lachaise isn't trying to hide the means of production. Editor: So, it’s not just about the finished image? Curator: Precisely. It’s about the labor, the artist’s hand, and the raw materials that give form to the representation of the female body. It makes me think about the commercialization of the nude and the artist's role in that cycle. Editor: That's a really interesting way to look at it. I'll definitely think about process more when I look at art.