Study of the American Flag, for "Coming of the Americans," Widener Library, Harvard University 1921 - 1922

Curator: John Singer Sargent's "Study of the American Flag" offers a glimpse into his preparations for the "Coming of the Americans" mural at Harvard's Widener Library. Editor: It feels like a whisper of patriotism, a hesitant sketch of something that could be bold and imposing, but isn’t, quite. It's very delicate. Curator: Sargent, a cosmopolitan artist, received this significant public commission amidst a fervent debate about American identity. This sketch, therefore, holds layers of complex meaning. Editor: Yes, and you can see that tension in the drawing itself. It’s a flag, but it's also just a collection of lines, a shadow of an idea rather than the thing itself. I find it very beautiful. Curator: Absolutely. Sargent’s loose, almost impressionistic style, makes it appear more as a symbolic representation than a literal depiction. Editor: It makes you think about what the flag represents, not just what it is. It’s a great example of how sometimes the unfinished work can be more powerful than the finished one. Curator: Indeed. It gives us insight into the artistic process and reveals something about the artist’s own perspective. Editor: A quiet moment of contemplation, captured in charcoal. I love it.