Album of Ornamental Detail: Drawings, Stencils and Photographs 19th-20th century

Curator: Before us we have John Singer Sargent's "Album of Ornamental Detail: Drawings, Stencils and Photographs," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The date of creation is unknown. Editor: It looks so austere and secretive, almost forbidding. What's inside? Curator: It's a compilation of drawings, stencils and photographs. Consider Sargent's privileged position, and the access he had to different materials. Editor: So, it speaks to the labor of collecting, of classifying, not just the skill of rendering? Curator: Precisely, the album itself as a crafted object, is a testament to production and consumption during Sargent’s time. Editor: I see this album less as a collection of things, and more as a reflection of Sargent’s own artistic formation and world. Curator: Indeed, material and context intertwine. Editor: A fascinating glimpse into the artist's world.