Madre e bambino (recto)
c. 1871-1872
Before he became the go-to painter for Gilded Age elites, a teenage John Singer Sargent was busy sketching everyday people during his travels across Europe. In this lively 1871 study, his energetic, scratchy lines capture a tender moment between a mother and child, while a solitary figure stands in the background, adding a sense of quiet observation. It’s a charming glimpse into his sketchbook, showing how he mastered capturing raw human emotion and movement long before he was famous for painting silk gowns and stiff poses.
- Technique
- graphite
- Material
- paper