Pauline Morton Sabin 1926

Philip Alexius de László made this portrait of Pauline Morton Sabin with oil paint, and there’s something immediately captivating about the way he builds up the image through layers. The material qualities here – the way the paint sits on the canvas, thick in some places, almost translucent in others – give you a sense of his process. Take a look at the way the light catches her fur stole: de László coaxes the form out with these feathery strokes and subtle shifts in tone, achieving a soft luminosity. The portrait reminds me a bit of John Singer Sargent, though maybe with a touch more vulnerability. And while the surface seems smooth from a distance, up close you can really see these individual gestures, like a conversation between the artist and his subject. Ultimately, it’s these little marks, these moments of touch, that bring the whole thing to life.