Mount Vesuvius; verso: Victory and Cupid with Dolphin, after the Antique 17 - 1869

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s pencil drawing of Mount Vesuvius. It’s quite a simple sketch, yet there’s a looming quality to the volcano. What materials and processes were involved in making this drawing and how do they shape its impact? Curator: The apparent simplicity belies the drawing's material reality. Consider the graphite itself: mined, processed, and formed into a tool. Sargent's labor, his hand moving across the paper, translates observation into a commodity, a view of Vesuvius for consumption. How does this context change your initial interpretation? Editor: It makes me think about how even a quick sketch is tied to larger systems of production and consumption. I hadn't considered the graphite as a commodity before. Curator: Exactly. The drawing isn't just a representation of a mountain; it's a product of material extraction and artistic labor. Editor: This has completely changed how I view the drawing; I will be sure to consider the social context for every artwork I view.