Mother Marie Poussepin 1920

Gwen John made this painting of Mother Marie Poussepin, probably in the late 1910s, and it's oil on canvas. Looking at this image, what strikes me is the approach to colour – it's almost like a symphony of muted tones, where browns and creams blend. You get the sense that John really understood painting as a process. There’s a real sensitivity to the material quality of the paint. It looks like she built up layers of thin, transparent washes, allowing the weave of the canvas to peek through in places. It creates this luminous, almost ethereal effect. Look at the way she painted the nun's veil – it's not solid, but rather a delicate network of tiny strokes. This one area captures the feeling of the whole piece for me. It's like John is showing us the essence of the subject. Looking at this painting, I am reminded of Whistler's subtle tonal harmonies, but John's work has a quiet intensity all her own. Her ability to capture the feeling of a person or place through such restrained means is pretty special.