Details of Scales for "Judgment" Lunette, Boston Public Library (recto and verso) 1895 - 1916

Curator: This drawing by John Singer Sargent, housed at the Harvard Art Museums, offers us a peek behind the curtain. It's titled "Details of Scales for 'Judgment' Lunette, Boston Public Library." Editor: My first thought? It feels like a study in balance. These sketched scales, so meticulously considered, almost vibrate with a quiet intensity. Curator: Right? And considering this was preparatory work, it's remarkable how much Sargent focuses on the mechanics of justice, the raw materials, if you will, of moral reckoning. Editor: Absolutely. I think the drawing itself highlights the labor involved, the sheer effort required to visualize such abstract concepts. The scales are not just symbols, but crafted objects, subjected to scrutiny, refinement, and ultimately, judgment themselves. Curator: That makes me think of the weight of responsibility felt by both the artist and the figures he was depicting. Editor: It's fascinating to see those scales, meant to measure, dissected like this. A true material investigation of a profound concept. Curator: It is a reminder that even justice has to be constructed, piece by piece, idea by idea. Editor: Precisely. There’s an honesty, a vulnerability in these sketched forms.