Chapel of Santiago, Cathedral of León, Spain 19th-20th century

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's sketch of the Chapel of Santiago in the Cathedral of León, Spain. I’m struck by the grand architecture, yet the sketch feels so intimate. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see Sargent grappling with power. The church, historically a site of immense social control, is rendered here in delicate lines. It invites us to consider the church's role in shaping identity and suppressing marginalized voices, doesn't it? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought of it that way. It feels more like a study of light and form to me. Curator: And isn't the manipulation of light and form, especially within religious architecture, often used to evoke specific emotional responses and reinforce hierarchical structures? What is illuminated and what is left in shadow? Editor: I suppose so. I hadn't considered how the artist's choices are shaping our experience of the space. Curator: Exactly! It makes us rethink what we see in such spaces. Editor: I'll definitely look at architectural sketches differently now.