Studies for ‘General Officers of World War I’ 1920 - 1922

Curator: Here we have John Singer Sargent’s "Studies for ‘General Officers of World War I’," sketched between 1920 and 1922. It’s a preparatory drawing. Editor: It feels unfinished, yet haunting. Three figures, fading in and out of existence… or, perhaps, a single figure caught mid-transformation, a becoming, an unraveling. Curator: Sargent was commissioned to create a large painting commemorating the General Officers. These sketches were crucial in developing the final composition, revealing his artistic process. Note how the medium, drawing, allows us insight to how he composed such an iconic tableau. Editor: The ghostliness is striking, isn’t it? There is the raw power of line – skeletal and economical, pure potentiality, revealing and concealing with a masterful confidence. Is it a study in power or mortality? A comment on how quickly the lauded fade from memory? Curator: Certainly, these are powerful men, caught in a specific moment in history. You notice Sargent's attention to detail regarding their uniforms and postures—details that lend authenticity and gravitas to the drawing. Each carefully placed line speaks to his masterful technique. Editor: Yet the absence of distinct facial features makes me think of every man lost in war – of anonymous authority. These generals almost dissolve before our very eyes, and I see a quiet commentary on the ravages of conflict—how it can blur individual identity. Curator: Sargent’s brilliance lay in his capacity to capture the essence of his subjects—not merely a likeness, but a feeling. Through these studies, we witness the artist grapple with conveying the authority of the officers alongside the war's impact. The realism of Sargent does have this fantastic double quality. Editor: I appreciate how this sketch invites the imagination to fill in the blanks. To dream on those ghostlike presences. Sargent leaves space, demanding that viewers engage. Perhaps, he gives space for empathy towards such a historical depiction? A sketch can be more moving, in this sense, than a complete rendering...