A Great Lady 1910

John Collier painted ‘A Great Lady’ at the turn of the 20th century, probably in oils. Collier builds up the composition through careful layers, establishing depth with a clear, considered approach. What I notice is the way the light catches the gold trim of the lady’s dress – it’s like he’s building her out of the shimmer. The paint handling is quite smooth and controlled, especially compared to the impressionists who were his contemporaries, but the attention to detail gives the artwork a powerful presence. I also see the way the dress and landscape merge, she is part of the earth and stone. In a way, it reminds me of some of the Pre-Raphaelites, like Millais, in the sense of its meticulousness and focus on historical subject matter, but there's a theatricality to this that's all Collier's own. It goes to show you how artists keep on finding new ways to see the world and put it on canvas.