Study of Flowers and Lanterns, for "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose"; verso: Studies for "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose;" Comic Heads 1885

Curator: We’re looking at John Singer Sargent’s “Study of Flowers and Lanterns, for "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose".” It’s a pencil sketch, a preparatory work for his famous painting, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, it's wonderfully ghostly. The lanterns float like pale moons among these barely-there flora. I get a distinct feeling of a memory fading, or a dreamscape. Curator: It’s fascinating to see Sargent's process laid bare, isn’t it? These lines, so tentative, explore the composition and lighting that would define the final artwork. Editor: Absolutely. The sparseness emphasizes the fleeting nature of light and shadow, which is what the final painting so brilliantly captures. You can almost feel him searching for the right balance. Curator: Sargent uses a deceptively simple technique to indicate form and depth, really focusing on the play of light on the flowers and the lanterns. It looks like he was experimenting with how the lanterns would hang, the arrangement of the blossoms, maybe even how the light would be diffused. Editor: It's incredible how much emotion he evokes with so little. A master at work, even in a sketch. Curator: Indeed. It gives us a glimpse into the mind of an artist, and how a masterpiece begins with exploration and experimentation. Editor: A whisper of beauty, captured before it fully bloomed.