Allegorical Study 

This preliminary sketch by John Singer Sargent, titled "Allegorical Study," is a delicate study of a group of figures, possibly for a larger work. The composition is framed in an oval, and the figures are drawn with a soft touch in pencil. The central figure appears to be a female seated upon a pedestal, with other figures surrounding her. The faint lines and shading suggest the early stages of the artist's creative process, and the composition hints at a narrative or allegorical theme.