Studies for "Bacchanal: Decorative Design" (recto and verso) c. 1915 - 1916

Editor: This drawing, "Studies for 'Bacchanal: Decorative Design'" by John Singer Sargent, captures my attention with its frenetic energy. What symbols or imagery jump out at you? Curator: Notice how Sargent uses circular forms to contain the revelry. These shapes, reminiscent of ancient cameos or coins, might be intentional—what memories do they conjure for you? Editor: A connection to classical antiquity, maybe? It feels like he's tapping into a long history of celebrating earthly pleasures. Curator: Precisely. The bacchanal, a celebration of Dionysus, echoes through time. This is Sargent reinterpreting ancient archetypes and how those archetypes persist in modern visual culture. What human desires do you think are being addressed through these images? Editor: Freedom, indulgence... escape, maybe? It makes me wonder how such themes resonate today. Curator: Indeed, the human impulse toward ecstatic release remains a potent force.