Fountain of Emperor Charles V, Alhambra, Granada 1912

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's "Fountain of Emperor Charles V, Alhambra, Granada," a pencil drawing housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s quite minimal, almost ghostly. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, consider Sargent’s choice of subject. Why depict a fountain commissioned by Charles V in the Alhambra, a symbol of Moorish Spain? It reflects the complex interplay of power and cultural identity. The sketch itself could be seen as Sargent grappling with this historical tension. Editor: So, the drawing captures a moment of cultural negotiation? Curator: Precisely. It's Sargent, an American artist, sketching a European-commissioned fountain in a Moorish palace. How does this layering of cultural contexts inform your understanding of the work? Editor: I see it now, the sketch highlights these complex historical layers and the politics inherent in representing them. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. It's a reminder that even seemingly simple sketches can be deeply embedded in cultural and historical narratives.