Study of Legs and Hands for Seated Angel at Right, "Israel and the Law," Boston Public Library 1895 - 1916

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent’s “Study of Legs and Hands for Seated Angel…” It’s a preparatory sketch, seemingly incomplete. What do you see in this piece that might reveal more? Curator: It's a glimpse into Sargent's process, isn't it? The immediacy of the charcoal, the confidence of the lines… he's capturing the essence of form, almost like sculpting with light and shadow. Notice how the hands seem to hover, almost separate from the body. Does that suggest anything to you about the final intended position? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered that sense of weightlessness. I guess I was just focused on the anatomical study. Curator: Precisely! It's where observation meets imagination. It makes you wonder about the story he wanted those hands to tell in the larger composition, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. I never thought about sketches telling their own little stories before!