Study for Angel at Far Left, for "Israel and the Law," Boston Public Library 1895 - 1916

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's "Study for Angel at Far Left, for 'Israel and the Law,'" a drawing. It feels like a raw, unfinished idea. What can you tell me about the context of this study? Curator: Sargent's mural project for the Boston Public Library became a major public commission embroiled in the socio-political debates of its time. Knowing that this angel was intended for a mural about law, how does that change your view? Editor: It makes me think about power and justice. Was there any public criticism of how Sargent depicted this angel? Curator: Absolutely. The murals, particularly the sections dealing with Judaism, faced accusations of antisemitism, reflecting the period's complex relationship with religious and cultural representation in public spaces. What does it mean to depict angels in the context of law and public space? Editor: I never thought about how political angels could be. I guess art is never really neutral, is it? Curator: Precisely. Sargent's struggles remind us that the creation and reception of public art are always shaped by cultural forces.