Woman Embracing Two Children (Madonna with Christ and John?) 19th-20th century

Editor: This lovely drawing, "Woman Embracing Two Children," by John Singer Sargent, gives such a feeling of tenderness. It looks like a preliminary sketch. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, it certainly captures a fleeting moment, doesn't it? Sargent's use of line is so expressive, almost like he's trying to capture the essence of maternal love in a single breath. Perhaps he was thinking of Renaissance Madonnas, but wanted something much more intimate, less posed. What do you make of that? Editor: I like that. I can imagine that the sketch is based on a Renaissance Madonna. It makes me appreciate Sargent's style even more. Curator: Absolutely! It's as if he's whispering a secret about art history itself. Something really beautiful is revealed.