Study for ‘Triumph of Religion’ c. 1903 - 1916

This is John Singer Sargent’s study for ‘Triumph of Religion’ made with graphite on paper. You can see the artist’s hand moving, searching for the right form. Figures are emerging from the ground. I imagine Sargent’s concentration as he made this study. Squinting, his eyes darting back and forth, he's trying to get a sense of the composition. Look at how he’s captured the draping fabric with such simple lines – they give weight and volume to the figures, while some areas remain open, unresolved. It’s like he's thinking aloud with the pencil, deciding what to keep and what to let go. You can feel the tradition of drawing behind it, the old masters, but with a modern twist of immediacy. It is a conversation with artists across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty. It's like life – messy, unfinished, but full of potential.