Head of Cellini's "Perseus," Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's sketch of the Head of Cellini's "Perseus," it's undated, a study in graphite, and held at the Harvard Art Museums. The heavy shadow gives the face a haunting quality. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: This sketch highlights the legacy of power and violence embedded within the Western artistic canon. Sargent isolates Perseus, removing him from the narrative of Medusa's beheading. Do you think that focusing on the head separate from the body perhaps normalizes the violence that the statue celebrates? Editor: That's a powerful point. I hadn't considered the broader implications of idealizing Perseus's victory. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Curator: Reflecting on the gaze and framing of the subject allows us to look critically at the stories we continue to tell through art.