Study for Standing Statue of Peter Cooper (1791 - 1883) (recto and verso) 1866

Curator: This light pencil sketch is titled "Study for Standing Statue of Peter Cooper (1791 - 1883)" by William Rimmer. It's part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so ephemeral, like a ghost of a monument. I wonder what Rimmer was thinking about when he chose such delicate lines. Curator: Well, Peter Cooper was a major figure—an industrialist and philanthropist. This study likely explores Cooper's image, wrestling with themes of power and representation within the societal structures of the time. Editor: I'm interested in the materiality of the sketch itself. Pencil on paper; a readily available, relatively inexpensive means of capturing a likeness. It's a fascinating counterpoint to the potential grandeur of a finished statue. Curator: Absolutely. The choice of medium speaks volumes, offering a more intimate perspective on a man who shaped industrial America and how such figures are perceived in society. Editor: It leaves me thinking about the process of creation itself, the labor involved in sculpting a statue versus quickly sketching a study. Both capture a moment. Curator: Rimmer's sketch invites us to consider the layers of meaning and labor embedded in representations of power. Editor: Yes, from the choice of materials to the social implications of memorializing an industrialist. Intriguing.