Study for "Pagan Gods," Boston Public Library 1892 - 1894

Curator: John Singer Sargent's "Study for 'Pagan Gods,' Boston Public Library," now at the Harvard Art Museums, presents an interesting interplay of form and content. It’s a watercolor and graphite piece, measuring about 162 by 55 centimeters. Editor: The imagery is striking—a cascade of figures that reminds me of ancient Egyptian funerary art, with its rigid structure and repeated motifs. Curator: Indeed, we see the preparatory nature of the work through the visible graphite underdrawing; the material itself hints at the labor involved in creating the larger mural. Editor: What I see is a visual language rooted in power—the winged deities, the central figures—they speak of a culture obsessed with transcendence and dominion. Curator: The choice of watercolor gives it a fluid, almost ethereal quality, quite at odds with the permanent nature of the intended mural. Editor: Ultimately, I see a tension between the ephemerality of the watercolor sketch and the eternal themes of the pagan gods Sargent is exploring. Curator: A fitting contrast, reflecting both the transient nature of the study and the enduring power of myth.