Portrait of a Young Man with Clasped Hands 1932

Curator: Here we have Denman Waldo Ross’s "Portrait of a Young Man with Clasped Hands," currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's a quiet vulnerability to this portrait. The clasped hands, the upward gaze... it speaks of a contemplative, perhaps even anxious, state. Curator: It's interesting you say that. Ross was deeply involved in art education and aesthetics. I wonder if this work served as an exercise, an exploration of human form and emotion within an academic context. Editor: The clasped hands, though, have always signified prayer, supplication, or even anxiety across centuries of art. It's a potent and immediately recognizable visual cue. Curator: Yet, consider the potential social dynamics at play, where the male nude existed as an exercise, a standard motif in academic training. Ross, within this structure, may be exploring the very codes of representation itself. Editor: I find the raw quality of the brushstrokes rather compelling. They add to the sense of immediacy, pulling me into the sitter’s emotional space. Curator: Indeed, but Ross's commitment to artistic principles also means we should consider the formal elements alongside any emotional reading. Editor: Perhaps. For me, the symbolism overwhelms its original purpose. Curator: A rich reading, indeed. Editor: Certainly, a lot to unpack.