Two Studies for Angel at Far Right, "Israel and the Law," Boston Public Library 1895 - 1916

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's "Two Studies for Angel at Far Right, 'Israel and the Law,'" housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a compelling sketch, full of subtle shading. What strikes you most about its composition? Curator: Observe how Sargent uses chiaroscuro to sculpt the figures, directing our gaze to the musculature and downcast faces. The parallel lines suggesting the staffs create a visual rhythm, don't they? Editor: They do. It makes the two figures seem both separate and connected somehow. What does that signify to you? Curator: The composition presents a study in contrasts: the solidity of form against the ethereality of the angelic subject, the precision of line against the ambiguity of shadow. Note how the economy of means conveys so much. Editor: It's amazing how the shading adds such depth. I never thought about how much the lines suggest connection and separation. Curator: Indeed. And by studying such compositional choices, we see how Sargent's preliminary sketches became powerful works in themselves.