Two Female Profiles c. 1895 - 1901

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's "Two Female Profiles," of undetermined date. It's a delicate pencil sketch at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so fleeting and unfinished. What do you make of its visual impact? Curator: Sargent's sketches provide valuable insight into his process. How might these quickly rendered profiles have served a purpose in his larger social milieu? Editor: Maybe they're studies for a larger portrait, or perhaps just capturing the likenesses of women in his social circle? Curator: Precisely. Sargent’s portraits served to solidify social standing. Consider how the elite used images to construct and maintain their power. What do you notice about their features? Editor: Their elegant, almost aristocratic profiles. It makes me think about the privilege of being immortalized by Sargent. Curator: Exactly. And how the art world, even then, played a part in shaping and reflecting those power dynamics. I'm glad we had this conversation. Editor: Me too. I learned so much today, thanks!