Profile Portrait of a Young Man 19th-20th century

Curator: This is Denman Waldo Ross's "Profile Portrait of a Young Man," currently held here at the Harvard Art Museums. The piece measures about 39 by 30 centimeters. Editor: Oh, wow, the color is striking! That deep red background almost vibrates against the muted tones of his skin. It has a very intimate, almost confrontational feel to it. Curator: Absolutely. Ross was deeply invested in color theory, and this portrait exemplifies his ideas. The intensity of the red pushes against traditional notions of portraiture, making us consider the sitter’s place within a larger socio-political framework. Editor: And the brushstrokes! They’re so visible. I find it interesting how unfinished it feels. It's like a memory, a fleeting moment captured in paint, which makes you wonder what statement the artist is trying to make. Curator: Precisely. This unfinished quality invites speculation about the sitter's identity, race, and gender, challenging viewers to fill in the gaps and engage with the sitter's potential narratives. Editor: It's a powerful piece. It really makes you think about who this person was, or could have been. Curator: Yes, it's a work that encourages us to look beyond the surface and ask complex questions about representation.