Study for Astarte and the Head of Neith

Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925 · 1892–1894

A preparatory study for a portion of Sargent's "Pagan Gods," a panel spanning the vaulted ceiling on the north end of the Sargent Gallery on the third floor of the McKim Building at the Central Library in Copley Square. Sargent's mural cycle, "The Triumph of Religion," was executed for the Boston Public Library between 1890 and 1919. Figures shown in this sketch include Astarte in a blue veil and a section of Neith, whose arms extend behind Astarte to touch the lower edge of the composition. The final "Pagan Gods" panel was installed in 1895. The study has been lined onto cavas with a gray ground.