Blank page; verso: The Marlborough Family c. 1902 - 1905

Editor: This small graphite sketch, "Blank page; verso: The Marlborough Family" by John Singer Sargent, feels incredibly intimate, almost like a fleeting thought. What does this work evoke in you? Curator: It speaks to the complexities of portraiture within the societal structures of Sargent's time. The Marlborough family, symbols of aristocracy and power, are reduced to a sketch, revealing the artist's own position within that hierarchy. Does this challenge the traditional depictions of the elite? Editor: It's like Sargent is both observing and critiquing the social landscape. Curator: Precisely! Sargent's work encourages us to reflect on the relationship between artist, subject, and the broader social context of wealth and privilege. We are forced to reconsider whose stories are told, and how. Editor: That reframing is powerful! I’ll never see Sargent’s work the same way again. Curator: And that is exactly how art should be approached!