Blank page; verso: Three Sketches of Arms 1912

Curator: This unassuming sheet holds "Blank page; verso: Three Sketches of Arms" by John Singer Sargent. It's a small work, just about 12 by 21 centimeters, a graphite study really. Editor: The hands, they're so fleeting, like catching a thought before it's fully formed. There’s a strange tension, a delicate grace hinting at the powerful potential within those limbs. Curator: Sargent, born in 1856, was a master of capturing fleeting moments. Hands, especially, often reveal more than faces in his works. They're tools, yes, but also storytellers. Editor: Absolutely. These sketches remind me of ancient votive offerings of limbs—symbols of healing, gratitude, or requests for strength. The gesture towards something beyond themselves. Curator: And each sketch has a slightly different feel, a distinct energy. The upper arm, so angular, almost aggressive, compared to the lower, more relaxed one. Editor: Yes, the arms become symbolic of action and repose, potent signs reflecting human agency and vulnerability at the same time. Curator: It's a simple sketch, yet Sargent imbues it with so much life. Editor: It makes you think about the unseen narratives those hands might have written, built, or touched. What stories do they hold, these arms?