Study for ‘The Fall of Gog and Magog’ 1903 - 1916

Here, we're looking at a study for ‘The Fall of Gog and Magog’ by John Singer Sargent, and it’s all about the push and pull of charcoal on paper. Sargent’s got this incredible way of making something feel solid with just a few smudges and lines. The texture is key, right? You can almost feel the grain of the paper under the charcoal, and see where he’s pressed hard and eased off. The round form at the top is so interesting, with its radiating lines. It's like he's mapping out the geometry, but also letting the shading do its thing. It reminds me of some of Manet’s sketches, how they could suggest so much with so little. Ultimately, Sargent is teaching us that art isn’t about perfect representation but a conversation between the eye, the hand, and the material. It’s a reminder that art thrives in the messy, the ambiguous, and the unfinished.