Studies for ‘Scots Grey’ 1918

John Singer Sargent made these studies for ‘Scots Grey’ with a pencil, maybe as he was figuring things out. I love that the lines are so open, scratchy and exploratory, it's like he is thinking through the drawing. There's a real physicality to the drawing: the paper has a warmth to it, which gives the grey lines a softness. You can see where Sargent has gone over the lines again and again, almost caressing the page, to find the right form. Look at the way he renders the horse's back in the study on the left, see how he keeps going over the line, suggesting the weight and mass of the animal. It’s not just about getting the shape right; it's about understanding the body, the heft, the connection between man and horse. This reminds me a little of Degas' drawings of horses and riders, the way he uses line to capture movement and energy. Ultimately, art is a conversation across time, a continuous exploration.