Portrait of James Whitcomb Riley 1903

This portrait of James Whitcomb Riley, by John Singer Sargent, is, like many of his portraits, both restrained and kind of flashy, you know? The paint here is really doing some work. Look how Sargent moves from thin washes in the background to these juicy, loaded brushstrokes in Riley’s face. There’s this real contrast between the dark, almost blurry suit and the way the light catches Riley’s forehead and glasses. It's like Sargent’s saying, “Okay, I’ll give you a portrait, but I’m gonna make it about the paint, too.” I find myself looking at the way Sargent handles the hands. They’re active, almost restless, which gives you a sense of Riley as a person. Think about someone like Manet, who also knew how to make the ordinary feel totally alive. They both remind us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth across time and between artists.