Study for Pagan Gods, Boston Public Library (recto and verso) c. 1892 - 1894

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s Study for Pagan Gods, Boston Public Library. It's an interesting sketch, quite rough. What do you see in this preliminary work? Curator: I see the artist wrestling with materiality. Notice the graphite—its deliberate use points to the very act of creation, the labor inherent in public art. Editor: So, you're focusing on the process rather than the image itself? Curator: Exactly. The sketch isn't just a means to an end. It highlights Sargent’s engagement with the physical world, before it becomes a gilded narrative for the Boston elite. Editor: That's a different way of looking at it, thanks! Curator: Indeed, it shows art's deep connection to societal labor.