Studies of Male Nudes [verso] 1918 - 1919

John Singer Sargent made these Studies of Male Nudes with graphite on paper. There’s a real freedom in the way these figures are sketched, like he’s thinking through the form as he goes. The paper is allowed to breathe here, the tan color creating a kind of skin tone. Look how the graphite varies, going from soft smudges to sharp, deliberate lines. Notice how the contours aren't always closed, leaving gaps that let the figures merge with the background. It's like Sargent is capturing a fleeting moment, a gesture caught in motion. The arm raised high on the left figure, almost disappears into the ether, it's like he's reaching for something beyond the page. Sargent's contemporary, Paul Cézanne, had a similar commitment to working from observation. Both artists found a way to see and record the world with fresh eyes. They remind us that art is not about perfect representation, but about the act of seeing and feeling.