Sketch of Small Boats Possibly 1872

Curator: John Singer Sargent's "Sketch of Small Boats," residing here at Harvard Art Museums, presents us with a study in subtle grays. Editor: It feels so immediate, almost haunting—these stacked boats, like abandoned memories left to decay. Curator: Note the careful cross-hatching. It evokes a sense of place, a working waterfront perhaps, where these boats were likely central to commerce. Editor: And consider the labor—the building, the loading, the reliance on these vessels for livelihood. Are they fishing boats? Transport? Curator: Hard to say definitively, but the symbolism of boats is age-old, a visual shorthand for journeys, transitions, the passage of time itself. Editor: Right, but it's the tangible reality of their making—the wood, the skill, the sheer physical work—that really resonates here. Curator: A compelling reminder that even quick sketches can be powerful carriers of cultural narratives. Editor: Exactly. A small sketch revealing something large about how we move goods, and our lives, across water.