Details of Scales, "Judgment" Lunette, Boston Public Library; verso: Compositional Sketch 1895 - 1916

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's sketch, "Details of Scales, 'Judgment' Lunette, Boston Public Library," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a fascinating look into his process; the scales feel monumental even in this preliminary form. What can you tell me about Sargent's intentions here? Curator: It's crucial to view this sketch within the context of the Gilded Age. Sargent's murals for the Boston Public Library grappled with themes of power, justice, and societal imbalances. How might these scales, symbols of judgment, reflect the era's anxieties about wealth disparity and moral accountability? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't considered the social commentary. Curator: Considering Sargent's elite patronage, are these scales instruments of genuine justice, or perhaps symbols complicit in upholding the status quo? Editor: I see what you mean; the ambiguity is definitely present. Thanks for sharing your perspective! Curator: And thank you for the close looking. I'm walking away considering the power dynamics inherent in even the smallest sketch.