Study for "Dogma of the Redemption: Frieze of Angels" [verso]

Study for "Dogma of the Redemption: Frieze of Angels" [verso] is a powerful charcoal drawing created by John Singer Sargent between 1895 and 1903. This highly detailed study on laid paper exemplifies the intense, meticulous preparation Sargent undertook for his massive, decades-long mural cycle at the Boston Public Library. As an essential American drawing from the period 1876 to 1900, the work captures the dynamic energy inherent in Sargent’s draftsmanship, offering a direct view into his working process for one of the most ambitious decorative projects of the era.

Sargent devoted considerable effort and technical skill to the BPL commission, a complex project demanding nuanced figure compositions and dense symbolic iconography. This particular study, rendered in expressive strokes of charcoal, likely served as a design element for the central theological panel, focusing on the movement and form of the celestial figures that populate the Dogma of the Redemption sequence. The technique allowed Sargent to rapidly model light and shadow, giving the figures weight and three-dimensionality—a crucial step before translating the design to the large-scale mural surface. The verso designation implies that the artist utilized both sides of the sheet, conserving materials and suggesting the prolific nature of his studies during this highly concentrated phase of his output.

As a leading figure of the Gilded Age and a transatlantic American artist working internationally, Sargent’s preparatory drawings provide vital insight into his methods beyond his celebrated portraiture. This piece demonstrates his mastery of figurative drawing and his dedication to major public commissions. The work is held in the prestigious collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it helps illuminate the complex genesis of one of the most significant mural cycles created in the United States. High-resolution images and prints of Sargent’s historical preparatory drawings are often available through public domain resources, ensuring continued scholarly access to the foundations of his monumental art.