Two Left Hands for the Law, "Israel and the Law," Boston Public Library 1895 - 1916

Curator: Sargent's "Two Left Hands for the Law" is a preparatory drawing for his mural series at the Boston Public Library, a study in charcoal. Editor: They're almost ghostly, aren't they? Like disembodied hands floating in a dream, caught between intention and… well, clumsiness. Curator: The title certainly suggests some kind of critique. He's exploring how justice, ideally precise, can be fumbled, rendered awkward or even harmful. Editor: I see that in the repetition, too. The doubling emphasizes the unease. Is it about the law's inability to grasp, or its propensity to mishandle? Curator: Indeed, Sargent uses the hands to symbolize the imperfect execution of legal principles. They are powerful yet somehow ineffectual. Editor: It’s a raw, revealing study, like a glimpse into the artist's own doubts about the project. Makes you reconsider the finished mural, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely, this offers a layered interpretation of Sargent's vision. Editor: A sobering thought, as we consider "justice" at play!