Study for Flag Bearer and Soldier Holding France's Hand, for "Coming of the Americans," Widener Library, Harvard University 1921 - 1922

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s preparatory sketch, “Study for Flag Bearer and Soldier Holding France's Hand.” It’s a fascinating glimpse into his process. It's interesting how the figures seem both heroic and vulnerable. What do you make of it? Curator: Sargent’s studies have a way of capturing fleeting moments, don’t they? There’s an honesty, a rawness, that gets lost in the grand narratives of war. Sargent is showing us the human cost, the weight of responsibility. The almost ghostly rendering adds to that feeling of ephemerality, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It’s a reminder that even symbols of strength can be fragile. Thanks, I hadn't considered that. Curator: It reminds us that every stroke matters. What do you think Sargent was aiming for in the final piece?