A Lady In Brown 1920

Sir John Lavery made this portrait of ‘A Lady In Brown’ with oil on canvas, and it’s a symphony of muted tones that really lets the process shine through. The paint here isn't trying to hide anything; you see the strokes, the layering, the way one color peeks out from beneath another. It's almost like Lavery is inviting us to witness the painting coming into being, layer by layer. There's this one spot on the right, near the bottom, where the brushwork is particularly loose, almost like a scribble and it's so alive. I’m reminded of Whistler, another painter who embraced a kind of moody, atmospheric approach. But Lavery has his own thing going on. Art’s not about having the final word, but about keeping the conversation going, brushstroke by brushstroke.