To understand the magnitude of this artistic pursuit, let us compare it to the act of writing about a person. Just as scribbles on a page are transformed by our minds into letters, which then form words, carrying specific meanings that can be infinitely shaped and altered by their arrangement, artists employ their own medium to convey likeness and personality. The goal is to connect with viewers who may never have the chance to meet the subject in person.

The most skilled writers accomplish this with brevity, employing descriptive and even beautiful language. As the master word-smith Shakespeare once said, "Brevity is the soul of wit." Similarly, during the same era but in a different country, the artist Velázquez painted three remarkable heads that we will incorporate into this narrative. As a child, Larson would lose himself in the pages of a book showcasing Velázquez’s works, who, in his mind, is the artistic equivalent of Shakespeare himself. Few individuals throughout history have possessed his exceptional ability to capture the essence of his subjects with profound simplicity, employing an economy of brushstrokes, each saturated with humanity.