The Model 1873 - 1884

Editor: This is John Singer Sargent’s “The Model,” painted between 1873 and 1884. It's watercolor and charcoal on paper. The brushwork feels so spontaneous! What jumps out at you? Curator: Ah, Sargent. Such a deft hand. You know, I see a fleeting moment captured, a pause in the artist's studio, maybe right before or after a pose. There's a vulnerability, yes, but also a palpable strength in her stance, doesn’t it strike you that way? And have you noticed how Sargent uses the wash of the watercolor to suggest the humid, intimate space? Editor: Definitely! I didn't catch that about the humidity, but that makes total sense given the subject. The red fabric pops so much in the muted space, I wonder if that’s a symbol of some sort? Curator: A splash of life, perhaps? Red often signals passion, vitality. But maybe Sargent just liked how the color played against the skin tones and the shadows, the painting itself. It's impressionism, so what do you feel first when looking at the piece, as opposed to what you might analyze later. Editor: I guess...a sort of quiet confidence, but a real intimacy at the same time. I like how informal it feels. I expected his portraits to be grander. Curator: Right! Think about the era – portraiture was often about projecting wealth and status, weren't they? And Sargent comes along, turns the lens toward something simpler, a backstage glimpse. That tension between formality and intimacy is, to me, what makes his work so enduring. What would we even call this, like anti-establishment-portraiture? Editor: Totally! It almost feels like a stolen glance, like we aren't supposed to be there. I'll definitely think about that tension the next time I see a Sargent painting. Curator: Indeed, and it's the unexpected glances that linger the longest, wouldn’t you say? Thanks, I have new perspective on Sargent’s portraits too!