Landscape Overlooking a City; verso: Study of Trees Possibly 1869

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent's pencil sketch, "Landscape Overlooking a City." It’s a quick study, almost ephemeral, but so detailed. What stands out to you about Sargent's process here? Curator: Notice how the rapid pencil strokes aren't just about capturing a scene, but revealing the physical act of seeing and representing. Sargent isn't concerned with illusion, but with the labor of art making itself. What does the 'verso' side, the study of trees, suggest about his method? Editor: It makes me think about how he's using the materiality of the paper and pencil to rapidly understand and translate the landscape’s essence. I never considered the physical labor involved in a 'sketch' before. Thanks! Curator: Precisely! It's about recognizing the choices and effort that shape what we see.