Henrietta Samuel Montagu Franklin (Mrs. Ernest Lewis Franklin) (recto and verso) c. 1898

Curator: This drawing by John Singer Sargent, held at the Harvard Art Museums, depicts Henrietta Samuel Montagu Franklin. Editor: There's a striking immediacy to it, isn't there? The stark contrast between the shading and the light lends a sense of drama. Curator: Indeed. Sargent was a master of capturing likeness and social standing. The Franklins were a prominent Anglo-Jewish family. Consider how portraiture in this era reinforced social hierarchies. Editor: The linearity and the stark contrast create a compelling visual structure. It seems to me that the composition, though unfinished, is self-contained. Curator: Sargent’s facility with the medium allowed him to evoke personality with minimal strokes. The lack of detail also invites the viewer to fill in the blanks, engaging with the social narrative and personal identity. Editor: Precisely. The incomplete nature of the work opens up an interesting dialogue between the artist's hand and the viewer's eye.