Sketch of a Fountain; verso: Two Caricatured Heads 7-Feb

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's "Sketch of a Fountain," created without a specific date, held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's all energetic lines and stark contrasts in ink. What do you see in this flurry of a sketch? Curator: Well, imagine Sargent, perhaps captivated by the play of light on water, just letting his hand dance across the page. The ink bleeds and flows, much like water itself, doesn't it? Notice how the heavy blacks suggest both form and shadow, like a memory struggling to solidify. Does it evoke any particular feeling in you? Editor: A sense of fleeting beauty, maybe? It feels immediate, like a captured moment. Curator: Precisely! It's less about precise representation and more about capturing the essence, the feeling of the fountain. And the caricatured heads on the back? Perhaps a glimpse into Sargent's playful side, a counterpoint to the fountain's serenity. It all hints at the artist's process, the constant push and pull between observation and imagination. I find it all rather delightful. Editor: Absolutely, it makes the artist’s thought process almost visible. Thanks for sharing your perspective.