Seated Sketch of Allen Parker 1927

Editor: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross’s "Seated Sketch of Allen Parker." It’s a simple graphite drawing. What strikes me is the artist's visible calculations – notes and diagrams of squares overlaid. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Look at the paper itself, the means of production here. Ross isn't just creating an image; he's dissecting the artistic process. The visible calculations highlight the labor involved in achieving aesthetic harmony, challenging notions of effortless artistic genius. Did the model, Allen Parker, have a role in the labor? Editor: That’s a really interesting way to think about it; I hadn’t considered the labor involved beyond the artist's hand. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, it makes you wonder about the social context of art-making at the time.