Wall Elevation with Columns and Ornamental Frames; verso: Study for Mabel Hatch Batten Singing c. 1895 - 1916

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Wall Elevation with Columns and Ornamental Frames," a pencil sketch held at the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes you first about this interior study? Editor: The bareness of it. The sketch feels so exposed, almost vulnerable in its simplicity. It’s a preliminary vision, stripped bare of the layers of wealth Sargent often depicted. Curator: Precisely. We see Sargent's interest in architectural elements and the way they create symbolic weight, echoing classical ideals of order and beauty. Editor: But who inhabits this space? Is it meant for the same elite circles Sargent usually portrayed? The lack of specificity makes me wonder about the accessibility of such designed spaces. Curator: That tension is fascinating. It reflects Sargent’s own complex relationship with the society he both served and observed. Editor: Ultimately, the sketch serves as a window into the construction of spaces—who designs them, who occupies them, and what narratives they silently enforce. Curator: Indeed, it causes us to reflect on the cultural values embedded within architectural forms.