Study for ‘Arion’ 1919 - 1920

John Singer Sargent made this study for ‘Arion’ using graphite on paper, and it feels like he was really thinking through the process of making a mark. Like, how do you make a body appear on paper? It’s all about the line, right? Look at the way the shading on the torso gives it volume, but then the lines defining the limbs are so quick, almost like he’s mapping out the space. You can almost see him thinking, rethinking, adjusting. There’s this beautiful ambiguity, especially in the hands and feet. They’re not quite finished, but that incompleteness is part of the magic. This piece reminds me a bit of Rodin’s drawings. It's like Sargent is not just depicting a figure, but also capturing the very act of seeing and drawing. It’s this openness to possibility, this acceptance of uncertainty, that makes the study so compelling.