Sketches of Four Arms with Swords, for Angel at Far Left, "Israel and the Law," Boston Public Library 1895 - 1916

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s sketch, "Sketches of Four Arms with Swords," a study for his Boston Public Library mural. The charcoal feels raw and powerful. How do you interpret this work, thinking about Sargent’s process? Curator: Well, consider Sargent's commission: monumental murals, public art intended to convey a message. These sketches reveal the labor, the material exploration behind these grand narratives. He wasn't just divinely inspired, but actively crafting an image, experimenting to produce the final angel. Editor: So, it’s less about spontaneous genius and more about… deliberate construction? Curator: Precisely. It’s the means of production—the charcoal, the repeated sketches—that give form to this icon. It reframes the "angel" as a product of artistic labor. Editor: That's a cool perspective; I never thought of it that way. Curator: Seeing the hand in the work. Always illuminating.