Studies for ‘Heaven’ and ‘Hell’ 1903 - 1916

John Singer Sargent made these Studies for ‘Heaven’ and ‘Hell’ with graphite, it looks like, to work out some ideas. You can really see Sargent thinking on the page here, figuring out the composition through the process of drawing. It’s a bit like improvising, you know? He’s laying down these flowing, energetic lines that capture the human form in dynamic poses. The texture in this work comes from the varying pressure of the graphite, creating depth and shadow. There’s a real physicality to the medium, a directness that invites you to feel the movement of the artist’s hand. Look at the way he renders the faces tilted upwards, there’s a kind of desperate longing there. It makes me think about how we always try to reach for something beyond ourselves. Sargent's approach here reminds me of Rodin, both artists were deeply interested in capturing the human form in expressive, emotive ways, and both were invested in the idea of process, showing their workings. Ultimately, it’s a powerful reminder that art doesn’t always need to be perfect or polished to be meaningful.