The Dance, after Carpeaux (?) 7-Nov

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent’s “The Dance, after Carpeaux (?).” It's a small drawing housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The energy captured with such sparse line work! You can feel the dancer’s reach, the stretch of muscle. It's all economy of means. Curator: Sargent made this study after Carpeaux, so it’s interesting to consider how Sargent positions himself within that sculptural tradition. The act of copying itself also a study of artistic labor. Editor: Absolutely. The materials, ink on paper, seem almost disposable, a quick impression. But that belies the skill in conveying the dynamism of movement. Curator: And it’s a private moment, divorced from the public spectacle of dance. The museum grants us access to an intimate moment of artistic study. Editor: A reminder that even fleeting sketches are built on a foundation of practice and observation. So much is unsaid in its simplicity.