A Study

A Study is an evocative lithograph by the esteemed American artist John Singer Sargent. Created as a print, this work exemplifies Sargent’s versatile approach to visual media beyond the grand society portraits for which he is most famous. Unlike his large-scale oils, this lithograph allowed Sargent to explore texture and form rapidly and experimentally, utilizing the stone surface to capture the immediacy of his drawing hand.

Though renowned primarily for his oil paintings and watercolors, Sargent periodically engaged in printmaking throughout his career. Works like this highlight the artist’s characteristic draftsmanship, translating his fluid, spontaneous sketching style directly into the medium. The designation A Study suggests an intimate or preparatory exercise, often focusing on anatomical observation or a fleeting expression, rather than a finished commission. As a defining figure in late 19th and early 20th-century art of the United States, Sargent’s technique successfully bridged academic tradition with emerging modern sensibilities.

The classification as a lithograph, a form of mechanical reproduction, demonstrates how high-quality prints played a role in disseminating art among a broader group of collectors. Sargent employed the precision of the medium to achieve subtle gradations of tone and deep, rich blacks. This piece is held within the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. As many of the artist’s significant works have entered the public domain, this study continues to serve as an important reference for scholars seeking to understand the full breadth of Sargent’s prolific output.