Album Leaf with Stencil and Drawing; verso: Album Leaf with Two Drawings 19th-20th century

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Album Leaf with Stencil and Drawing; verso: Album Leaf with Two Drawings", currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by its unfinished quality, that stencil work and the underlying grid hinting at architectural ornamentation. Curator: Indeed. The stencil brings to mind decorative friezes, perhaps reflecting Sargent’s engagement with the aesthetic movement, which celebrated the decorative arts and their influence on daily life. Editor: Do you think the grid and the crisp geometry of the ornament suggest a move towards industrial design? It evokes the Machine Age and its impact on artistic production. Curator: Possibly. But, I also wonder about a continuity here. Ornamental patterns speak to very old symbolic systems, connecting us to traditions of power, status, and the very idea of ‘home.’ Editor: That’s a good point; the album leaf format gives us a glimpse into Sargent’s process, a visual record of his aesthetic explorations. Curator: This glimpse reveals both historical context and that continuous thread of human symbol making. Editor: Seeing the bones of a beautiful design really does offer a unique perspective.