Sketch of Arbutus 19th-20th century

Curator: John Singer Sargent's "Sketch of Arbutus", held here at the Harvard Art Museums, offers us a glimpse into his process. It's an intimate study, about 9 by 11 inches. Editor: It feels like a whisper, doesn't it? A fleeting moment captured with such delicate lines, the arbutus almost floating on the page. Curator: Sargent was known for his portraits, of course, but these nature studies reveal a different side—a quiet appreciation for the natural world, free from the constraints of patronage. These types of sketches weren't usually displayed, or considered part of his artistic brand. Editor: It's like eavesdropping on his private thoughts. Did these sketches inform his larger works, I wonder, or were they simply a form of meditation? What did he care about, when nobody was looking? Curator: Perhaps both. Either way, it offers a valuable lens into Sargent's artistic identity. Editor: Yes, like a secret garden, glimpsed through a crack in the wall.