Studies for "Gassed" 1918 - 1919

John Singer Sargent made these studies for “Gassed” with graphite on paper. Look at those sleeping soldiers. Sargent must have been trying to figure out how to convey the feeling of exhaustion. I can imagine him, pencil in hand, circling around these figures, trying to capture their weight and stillness. There’s something so tender in the way he renders the folds of their uniforms and the soft shadows around their faces. You can almost feel the weight of their bodies pressing into the ground. Think about the pressure of the graphite on the page, the way he builds up tone with layers of hatching. Each stroke is a little act of empathy, a way of connecting with the humanity of these men. He’s in conversation with other artists who have tried to capture moments of vulnerability and resilience. Sargent shows us that even in the midst of conflict, there’s still room for compassion and connection, and that's something we can all relate to, right?