Studies for "Gassed" 1918 - 1919

John Singer Sargent made these studies for "Gassed" with graphite on paper, and what strikes me is the intimacy in rendering figures of exhausted soldiers. The light is everything here. Sargent uses the graphite so deftly, almost tenderly, creating soft gradations that define the forms, making the figures appear both heavy and weightless at the same time. It is interesting to me, the way he captures the weight of their bodies pressing into the ground, while also suggesting a kind of ethereal quality, as if they're floating just above the surface. Look at the boots of the soldier on the bottom left - they're so delicately shaded, yet they ground the whole composition, reminding us of the harsh reality of war. It reminds me a little of Kathe Kollwitz. Both artists share this incredible ability to convey human suffering with such raw emotion and sensitivity, using simple materials like graphite to create powerful and lasting images. It's a reminder that art doesn't always need to be loud or flashy to be profound.