Study of Foliage 1871

Curator: This is John Singer Sargent's "Study of Foliage," a pencil drawing now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels fleeting, almost like a snapshot of the way light falls through the leaves. You can almost hear the rustle of the wind. Curator: Exactly. Sargent's societal position allowed him to focus on these kinds of studies, exercises in form and light. The means of production here are humble pencil and paper, but the value lies in the artist's skill and training. Editor: The "value" also lies in how art institutions, like Harvard, have sanctified it, framing how we interpret Sargent's artistic process. It's interesting to think about this as an extension of his portrait work, just without the sitters from high society. Curator: It's a testament to Sargent's mastery that he can evoke so much with so little. Editor: I find it fascinating how institutional context has shaped our appreciation of a quick study of foliage, elevating it to something more significant.