Portrait 

Curator: Here we have an evocative portrait study. Though the artist is currently unknown, it bears a striking resemblance to the portraiture of Thomas Eakins, renowned for his unflinching realism and psychological depth. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the subject's vulnerability. There’s a rawness here. The muted colors and blurred details almost feel like a half-remembered dream, imbued with an emotional charge. Curator: I agree, the sketch exudes intimacy, and yet the choice to use either oil pastel, charcoal or a combination of both adds a layer of remove, a filter through which we observe the sitter's humanity, while acknowledging artifice of its presentation as art. We can also look at its possible date in understanding this subject in portrait. The piece has the flavor of an underpainting study that can be developed as an oil painting but here it remains as a complete artwork itself. Editor: Right, that use of monochrome and shading creates an intense atmosphere. We are clearly meant to focus on his facial features. And look at how those bold charcoal lines carve out the contours of his beard! There is a play between exposing his weathered face, his expression seems almost tragic but stoic, which draws into an interrogation of identity, perhaps. Curator: Absolutely, the work prompts reflection. It draws us back to think about issues in the academic system around representational politics and portraiture and its evolution through art's history and in relationship with the social system where art and artist work and express themselves. Editor: For sure. Ultimately, it encourages conversations about societal structures as well and the historical politics within art itself that may seem neutral but can inform us on the culture where art exist and has been made. Curator: Precisely. In short, the artwork may raise questions about historical issues that it is not completely detached from and invites a reconsideration of the representation that are displayed in the arts. Editor: Definitely food for thought. It definitely gives you a strong image with all of the cultural meaning it implies!