Sketchbook ("Carrara"): Animal and Figure Studies 1911

Editor: So, here we have John Singer Sargent’s Sketchbook ("Carrara"): Animal and Figure Studies. It's a small, bound book. The cover's a plain, textured fabric. What strikes you about its presentation? Curator: The materiality itself speaks volumes. Note the unadorned cover, its coarse texture. This is not intended as a finished object, but as a container for pure, unmediated studies. The focus shifts to the artist’s process. Editor: So, the point is not the aesthetic appeal, but the exploration of form within? Curator: Precisely. The value resides in the raw, unfiltered expression of Sargent's observations. It's a testament to the beauty found in the rudimentary elements of art-making. It’s about the language of art itself, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely, seeing this sketchbook changes my perspective on Sargent’s larger works!