Sketches of Figures, Legs, and Faces 1871 - 1872

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent’s "Sketches of Figures, Legs, and Faces" currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It measures roughly 10 by 17 centimeters. Editor: It feels like a page ripped from a personal sketchbook, doesn’t it? A fleeting glimpse into Sargent's visual world. Curator: Indeed. Sargent, born in 1856, made this drawing, likely as a study for larger works. It speaks to the academic tradition of mastering anatomy, but with Sargent's characteristic dynamism. Editor: I'm struck by the casualness of the sketches juxtaposed with the formality of the portrait—the man with the pipe seems so deliberately rendered. It prompts reflection on class and leisure. Curator: Sargent often moved within elite circles, and his portrayals, even in sketch form, reflect the social milieu. Editor: I wonder if we can consider the gesture of the sketchbook page itself—these are studies, but they also represent a certain way of seeing and documenting the world through a particular lens. Curator: It’s a reminder of how deeply ingrained social structures can be within artistic practice. Editor: And that awareness, even in these sketches, invites a more critical viewing of Sargent's larger body of work.