Study of Field Marshal John French for ‘General Officers of World War I’ 1920 - 1922

This is John Singer Sargent's graphite study of Field Marshal John French for ‘General Officers of World War I’. You can see the touch of the artist trying to feel his way into the form of the General. I wonder what it was like for Sargent to draw this man and what it was like for the General to sit for his portrait? What happens when a painter and a general come together? Was Sargent interested in the general's face? The marks on the paper seem to suggest that he was fascinated by the play of light on the man’s face. I love the contrast between the delicate lines and the weight of history. The way Sargent uses graphite here reminds me of other artists like Lucian Freud, who also used drawing to explore the depths of human character. Artists like them keep the conversation going, each adding their own voice and vision. Painting and drawing become a way of asking questions rather than giving answers.