Blank page; verso: Sketch of a Dancing Woman 1912

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Blank page; verso: Sketch of a Dancing Woman," held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so fleeting, almost like catching a memory in motion. The sketch is minimal, yet the energy of the dancer is palpable. Curator: Absolutely, and considering Sargent's social circles, it begs the question: Who was this woman? What performances did she engage in, and what stories did she tell through her body? The sketch exists in conversation with discourses of performance, gender, and spectatorship during Sargent's time. Editor: I'm drawn to the paper itself, the tooth of it, and the graphite laid down so economically. Sargent's process here speaks to a rapid capture, an immediacy that contrasts with the often highly finished nature of his portraits. It shows his engagement with the physical act of drawing. Curator: That contrast is key, it underscores the agency inherent in artistic creation, challenging preconceived notions of female performance, and representation. Editor: Seeing the raw material and process really grounds the artwork, making it less about idealized beauty and more about the labor and choices behind the image. Curator: Precisely, and viewing art through that lens helps us unravel assumptions about gender, class, and power dynamics. Editor: Yes, it is a reminder that art, like dance, is a product of its time, shaped by material conditions and cultural forces.