Head of a Woman (Beatrice Stuart) c. 1903 - 1909

Curator: Sargent’s “Head of a Woman (Beatrice Stuart)” is a rather elegant sketch, wouldn't you say? It's at the Harvard Art Museums, measuring about 62 by 47 centimeters. Editor: It's evocative; it projects a certain aloofness, a kind of detached nobility reminiscent of women in Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Curator: I find it fascinating how Sargent captures her gaze. She seems to be looking inward, almost as if in deep thought. Editor: Perhaps Sargent was interested in capturing the inner lives of women, and that by extension she stands in for the many women overlooked by history. Curator: Well, either way, it's a beautiful study. Editor: Absolutely. It invites us to consider the complex and sometimes obscured narratives of women's experiences and contributions.