Study of Adam for the ‘Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary’ 1903 - 1916

John Singer Sargent made this drawing, "Study of Adam for the ‘Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary’" with what looks like charcoal or graphite on paper. The soft, grey lines feel provisional, like the artist is thinking through form and light. I’m imagining Sargent, squinting at the model, trying to capture the weight and drape of the fabric. What was it like to feel the charcoal crumble beneath his fingers? Was he thinking about the burden Adam carries? The surface is alive with the push and pull of dark and light. Each stroke feels like a question, a search for the right angle, the right shadow. It reminds me that painting is always an ongoing process, artists borrow and build upon each other's ideas. And drawing allows us to embrace uncertainty, finding new meanings and connections in the act of looking.