Study for "Death and Victory" and "Coming of the Americans," with Architectural Framework, Widener Library, Harvard University 1921 - 1922

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Study for 'Death and Victory' and 'Coming of the Americans,' with Architectural Framework," a large preparatory drawing now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so preliminary, almost ghostly. The figures are spectral, framed by stark architectural lines. Curator: Exactly. Note how Sargent uses those arches to contrast themes of mortality and triumph. Death, a somber Madonna-like figure, faces a chaotic scene of American soldiers. It's a powerful juxtaposition. Editor: It raises questions about how societies memorialize sacrifice, doesn’t it? The visual language seems to pull from classical and religious traditions. Curator: Sargent's murals aimed to create a space for reflection on war's impact on American identity. This study distills those grand ambitions to their core. Editor: Thinking about the murals now, it’s as if this drawing captures the raw emotional state before the grand narrative takes over. Curator: Indeed, and perhaps it also reflects Sargent’s own complex feelings about the First World War and its aftermath.