President Harding 1920

Curator: What a stern profile! Walter Tittle's 1920 pencil drawing and print of President Harding. There's such gravity, an air of old-school authority hanging about him, don't you think? Editor: It feels oddly… nostalgic? Like flipping through yellowed photos in a relative’s attic. All those sharp angles and precise lines definitely have that serious tone. And he does looks like a stone cold man Curator: Harding’s presidency, often overshadowed by scandal, existed in a complex intersection of post-war idealism and disillusionment. Tittle's choice of medium – the humble pencil, reproduced as a print – speaks to the everyman image Harding cultivated. It is meant to evoke this, no? This very carefully and intentionally calibrated aesthetic of respectable public life? Editor: The use of light and shadow seems so intentional. It really draws your attention to the eyes, that stoic gaze and he seems a bit troubled, not your typical proud portraiture like the official oil painting. The soft texture gives off warmth, so he seems human after all. Is there an emotional layer we miss without knowing Harding’s own context? Curator: Absolutely! Looking at the social context of 1920, following the First World War and the influenza pandemic, Harding promised a "return to normalcy". This portrait then, through its careful detail, attempts to reflect this desire for stability and leadership. There’s a careful attempt to construct a sense of unwavering resolve, isn't it? That gaze you noted, carries that weight. Editor: Yeah, there’s almost a plea for simplicity here. If anything, I find myself sympathizing. Almost. There is almost too much simplicity, so does the man have anything beyond the facade? It is too plain and sterile. I see what you mean; the artifice, like the overly stiff collar, has that attempt to create this aura around the man. But you are right, the context here helps a lot to bring us into that era. Curator: The artist created so much out of seemingly little; and maybe President Harding too. To close our reflections today, I would suggest considering the artifice that we can make something bigger than it may actually be; and this is what Tittle created for President Harding. Editor: So much power to build so much for someone so fleeting! Thanks for this insightful approach to this pencil drawing. Now, looking ahead, next artwork on the audio guide…?