Study of Flag Bearer and Soldier Carrying Musket, for "Coming of the Americans," Widener Library, Harvard University 1921 - 1922

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Study of Flag Bearer and Soldier Carrying Musket, for 'Coming of the Americans,'" housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels very immediate, like a quick sketch capturing a moment. The visible pencil strokes and unfinished areas give it a sense of energy. Curator: Indeed. It’s a preparatory drawing. Sargent was commissioned to create murals in the Widener Library at Harvard, and this captures his process of developing the figures. Editor: The way he focuses on the hands is fascinating. They are rendered with such detail. What do you make of their significance, given the context of the "Coming of the Americans?" Curator: Well, the hands holding the flag and musket signify the soldier's duty to carry forward the American ethos, the burdens and responsibilities of patriotism. The mural project was meant to memorialize Harvard alumni who died in World War I. Editor: It’s interesting to see how the final design in the library emphasizes nationalistic ideals while also being rooted in personal loss. It feels like an intimate glimpse into his creative process. Curator: Precisely. The economy of line communicates movement and intent, while the unfinished elements highlight the tentative nature of history itself.