Sketch of Figures; Study of a House 1871 - 1872

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Sketch of Figures; Study of a House," a pencil drawing held in the Harvard Art Museums. It is undated. Editor: It feels so fleeting, like a memory half-grasped. The woman in the upper sketch appears almost doll-like, framed by what looks like a domestic interior. Curator: Yes, and note the contrast in textures – the roughly sketched background versus the slightly more defined figure. It speaks to Sargent's process, his focus on capturing light and form through quick, efficient mark-making. What social class might she belong to? How would this setting have been understood in its time? Editor: Perhaps of working-class origin given the simple apron and the starkness of the surroundings. But I’m more intrigued by how this sketch reveals the everyday labor of image-making itself—Sargent’s own work. Curator: I agree. And the juxtaposition with the architectural study below – a more formal structure – might indicate Sargent’s experimentation with different modes of representation and how the architectural form reinforces existing power structures. Editor: That's an astute observation. It’s a fascinating piece, revealing Sargent's methods and prompting us to consider the social implications of the depicted subjects and how he captured them.