Mrs. George Swinton 1906

John Singer Sargent drew Mrs. George Swinton sometime around 1906, probably using charcoal or graphite. The sketch is so immediate, so alive! I love the way the marks build up to create a sense of form and light. It's like watching the process of creation unfold right before your eyes. There's something about the texture of the drawing that really grabs me. You can almost feel the tooth of the paper beneath the soft, smudgy charcoal. Look at the way Sargent uses short, scribbled lines to define the shadows around her eyes and the folds of her dress. See how that mark-making gives the piece a sense of movement, as if the image is constantly shifting and changing. For me that scribbled area is so vibrant; it speaks of confidence, ease, and a deep understanding of the medium. Sargent was clearly influenced by the Old Masters, like Velázquez and Rembrandt, but he also had a real knack for capturing the energy of modern life, much like Manet. It’s not a dead copy of life, but something more mysterious and open.