Studies for ‘The Fall of Gog and Magog’ II 1903 - 1916

This drawing, *Studies for ‘The Fall of Gog and Magog’ II* by John Singer Sargent is like a peek into the artist's mind. The bold pencil marks and tonal contrasts really give a sense of form, yet leave much to the imagination. What’s cool here is that this is a study, a preparation for a larger work. It's fascinating to see the artist work through ideas, trying out different things, playing with light and shadow. You can see the ghost of the artist's hand moving across the page, guided by intuition and a deep understanding of anatomy. I wonder what Sargent was thinking as he drew this? Was he thinking of Goya, Delacroix? It reminds me that art is an ongoing conversation, that artists build upon each other's work, borrowing, remixing, and pushing boundaries. It invites us to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty.