Last Judgment, from Amiens Cathedral c. 1903 - 1916

Curator: This graphite sketch by John Singer Sargent is titled "Last Judgment, from Amiens Cathedral," and it's currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels almost like a dream, or a quickly jotted note, but the subject matter feels weighty. What's your take? Curator: It evokes a cultural memory, the very idea of divine judgment. The figures, though lightly sketched, carry a powerful symbolic weight. The scales, for instance, speak to justice and morality, core tenets of Western thought. Editor: Right, and notice the deliberate mark-making, the quick strokes to capture monumental sculpture. There's an immediate translation happening, a re-presentation through the artist's hand and material of graphite. Curator: Absolutely. The sketch seems to capture Sargent's personal reflection on the cathedral, connecting past and present through enduring symbols of faith. Editor: Indeed, a compelling example of how material and process can bring new meaning to a historical idea.