Study for Seated Angel at Left, "Israel and the Law," Boston Public Library 1895 - 1916

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s "Study for Seated Angel at Left, 'Israel and the Law,'" housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. The charcoal feels so alive. What strikes you about its composition? Curator: The dynamism is compelling. Observe how Sargent uses the charcoal to define form and light, focusing on the interplay of shadow across the figure's anatomy. Note the tension between the detailed musculature and the almost gestural treatment of the drapery. Editor: So it’s less about narrative, and more about pure form? Curator: Precisely. The composition foregrounds the materiality of the medium and the artist's command of its expressive potential, irrespective of any symbolic reading. It's a study in and of itself. Editor: I see. Focusing on his use of line and shadow gives me a completely different insight into the piece.