Portrait of Charles Martin Loeffler 1917

John Singer Sargent made this drawing of Charles Martin Loeffler with graphite on paper. What I love is how he lets the drawing emerge, almost unfinished, from the ground of the paper. Look at how the marks build up, hatching and cross-hatching, like he’s feeling his way around the form. In the face, there's a delicate touch, but then the suit is a flurry of activity, almost dissolving into the background. It’s like Sargent is saying, "Here’s what's important, and here’s what’s not." The textures are amazing; the soft fuzz of the beard against the crisp lines of the jacket. You can almost feel the different weights of the graphite, the pressure of his hand. Sargent’s portraits always remind me of Manet, that same effortless elegance, but with a bit more… swagger. It’s like he’s not just capturing a likeness, but also a mood, a feeling, a whole world of possibilities.