Portrait of the Artist's Son 17th-18th century

Editor: This is Jonathan Richardson Senior's, "Portrait of the Artist's Son," a drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm immediately drawn to the tenderness in the way the artist captures his son's gaze. What subtleties do you see in this drawing, that I might be missing? Curator: Subtleties, you say? Well, I see a father's love, certainly, rendered in delicate chalk. Look how the red chalk brings warmth to the face, while the blue paper provides a cool, contemplative backdrop. He’s almost floating, isn’t he? A daydream of a portrait. Editor: Yes, "daydream" fits perfectly! I hadn't considered how the paper itself contributes to the overall feeling. Curator: It's all about layers, isn't it? Both in art and in life. We see what we're ready to see.