Wounded Warrior, after the Antique 1869

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Wounded Warrior, after the Antique," a pencil drawing in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The rapid strokes give it such a raw, immediate feel. It is visceral, showing the moment where strength falters. Curator: Precisely. Sargent's drawing captures a potent image of broken heroism. The raised arm, the shield... they speak to familiar narratives of classical struggle. Editor: Yes, but it’s more than just classical. Note the pressure of the pencil, the areas built up into darker values, all revealing the labor of the artist. The making is so present. Curator: It's interesting how Sargent invokes an archetypal image of a fallen warrior—the cost of courage, perhaps, resonates across centuries. Editor: I see it as a study in form and also the limitations of the body. The warrior, the pencil, the paper, all material components interacting. Curator: A worthwhile reminder that even preliminary sketches hold layers of cultural and artistic significance. Editor: Indeed. It's in these material traces that the artist, and the warrior, live on.