Two Views of a Wolf’s Head 

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's "Two Views of a Wolf’s Head", done in graphite and pencil. It's striking how raw and visceral these sketches are, especially given Sargent's reputation as a society portraitist. What aspects of this drawing stand out to you? Curator: Considering Sargent’s status within the art world of his time, what labor was deemed worthy of elevation to “art”? His portraits served a clear social function, reinforcing class structures. A study like this, quickly rendered in graphite – a readily available and relatively inexpensive material – raises questions about artistic hierarchies. Editor: So you're saying that even the *materials* themselves reflect different social statuses, even beyond the subject? Curator: Absolutely. Graphite, as a medium, facilitates rapid execution and reproducibility. Unlike the laborious process of oil painting commissioned by wealthy patrons, this wolf study suggests a different mode of artistic production. Were such animal studies considered less "serious," less commodifiable, because they weren't destined for the same circles of consumption? What kinds of sketches were sold for consumption and which weren’t? Editor: That makes me rethink the relationship between artistic skill, the value of labor, and even what subjects are considered worthy of serious artistic attention. Curator: Exactly. Consider the availability and price point of graphite versus oil paints in Sargent’s time. This reflects broader accessibility to artistic materials, a democratization, if you will, that complicates conventional art historical narratives. Are these ‘practice sketches’ as valuable or important in the grand scheme? The use of each one dictated by time and circumstance. Editor: So, by examining the *how* and *what* it's made of, we can learn a lot more about *why* it was made. That is a completely different way to consider Sargent’s work than I had imagined before. Curator: Precisely. By looking at materials and production, we can dismantle some of the mystique around artistic genius and see the socio-economic forces at play.