Studies of Lions; verso: Studies of Tigers 19th-20th century

Curator: Sargent's "Studies of Lions; verso: Studies of Tigers" is a fascinating glimpse into his process—look at the sinuous lines, the sheer energy! Editor: My first thought is the tension between the lions' implied power and their confinement on the page. What does it mean to tame the "wild"? Curator: Perhaps it’s less about taming and more about capturing the essence. Sargent's not documenting; he’s feeling his way through the form. I can imagine him at the zoo, sketching feverishly. Editor: And who has access to those spaces of captivity, of observation? The colonial implications of zoos and the gaze of Western artists like Sargent are always at play. Curator: I see your point, but I also think it shows an artist utterly enraptured. Look how he’s working out the musculature, the weight. I can almost feel their movements in my own body. Editor: Absolutely, and this visceral response connects us to a longer history of representing animal bodies. It begs the question, whose perspectives are amplified and whose are silenced in that portrayal? Curator: Hmmm, something to ponder, indeed. Editor: It really does.