Molding Profiles, Squared; verso: Designs for Ornamental Ceiling Panels c. 1895 - 1916

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's pencil sketch, "Molding Profiles, Squared; verso: Designs for Ornamental Ceiling Panels," held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is that it is skeletal—raw intention laid bare. The inscription “too broad” gives it a wonderful aura of candor. Curator: Yes, it reveals a work in progress, a glimpse into the artistic process. We often see Sargent as this confident portraitist, but here we see him wrestling with design elements. What cultural associations arise for you? Editor: Well, the ceiling panel designs, however minimal, evoke a lineage of architectural ornamentation, speaking to wealth and power structures, especially in the Gilded Age context. Curator: Definitely. And consider the symbolic weight of ceilings themselves—they represent aspiration, the heavens, the realm of ideas. His design choices must align with the psychological effect he aims to create. Editor: Seeing this more utilitarian side of Sargent really humanizes him. It shows the foundations upon which his more celebrated works are built. Curator: Absolutely. It shifts our focus from the grand masterpiece to the essential groundwork, which, for me, adds another layer of depth to his overall body of work.