Sketches of Dancers Performing c. 1879 - 1882

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's "Sketches of Dancers Performing," a pencil drawing. It has a very raw, almost voyeuristic quality. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Sargent, celebrated for his society portraits, here offers us something different. Considering the gaze, who do you think these dancers are performing for, and who is excluded from that performance? Editor: I hadn't thought about the exclusion. Curator: These sketches allow us to consider the power dynamics inherent in observing the human form, especially in dance. How might the dancers' identities and the context of their performance shift our understanding of the work? Editor: I see this piece in a totally new way now. Curator: Absolutely. It makes one think about art, power, and representation in a very complex way.