Portrait of a Lady 1901

Franz von Lenbach painted this portrait in 1901 with what looks like a mix of thin glazes and direct, confident brushstrokes. He wasn't afraid to leave the process visible. Look at the way the light hits her face. See how it's built up from these subtle, almost translucent layers? You can practically feel the brush moving, swirling color over the canvas. The dark areas around her cloak are more gestural and less defined, like the artist has chosen to obscure some details and emphasize others. It's interesting how Lenbach’s painting manages to feel both intimate and distant at the same time. I find myself thinking of John Singer Sargent, another painter who was a master of capturing the essence of a person, and of an era, with just a few well-placed strokes. But where Sargent is dazzling, Lenbach feels quieter, more contemplative. Paintings are never finished, only abandoned, as they say. The conversation goes on.