Art of the PhD: Passion and Drama in Sargent’s El Jaleo

Harvard Griffin GSAS History of Art + Architecture PhD candidate Destiny Crowley explores the history and meaning behind John Singer Sargent’s Study for Seated Figures for El Jaleo at the Harvard Art Museum. Through her discussion of the dramatic use of light and shadow, bold brushstrokes of vivid color, and the placement of the figures in the painting, Crowley reveals how Sargent’s interpretation of the flamenco art form reflected the larger cultural and political themes of his time. Her fresh perspective gives insight into the work of one of the most important American artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.