Four Peasant (?) Figures 19th-20th century

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's "Four Peasant (?) Figures," a small watercolor at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a study in shadow, really, obscuring the figures. What stories do you think Sargent is hinting at here? Curator: I see a snapshot of a marginalized community, perhaps intentionally blurred. Sargent, an expatriate himself, often observed social dynamics from a distance. Who gets to be seen, and how, becomes a political question. What does the lack of detail tell us about whose stories are deemed important? Editor: So, you're saying the ambiguity is less about artistic style and more about social commentary? Curator: Exactly. Sargent provides a glimpse, but withholds clarity, prompting us to consider the power dynamics inherent in representation. What does this withholding evoke in you? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but I see it now. It’s a quiet accusation. Curator: Precisely. Art as a mirror reflecting uncomfortable truths.