Sketch of a Standing Woman (Mrs. Charles Russell?) c. 1902 - 1905

Curator: Looking at this, I immediately think of a silent film star, poised but melancholy. Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s "Sketch of a Standing Woman (Mrs. Charles Russell?)," part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. I’m drawn to how Sargent uses the sketch medium to convey the complexities of upper-class femininity in his era. Curator: Absolutely. The rapid lines and unfinished quality give it an air of vulnerability, contrasting the expected stoicism of women in formal portraiture. It almost feels like an intimate glimpse behind the performance of gender. Editor: Precisely, and the lack of definitive identification invites us to consider the roles women played in society and art. Sargent was certainly aware of the power dynamics at play when constructing an image. Curator: It really speaks to the transient nature of identity and representation, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. It's a powerful statement, especially through such seemingly casual strokes.