Portrait of Mrs.Charles Schreiber 1912

John William Waterhouse made this portrait of Mrs. Charles Schreiber with oil on canvas. The way he layered the reddish-brown paint on the background—it’s as if he brushed it on, wiped it away, and then brushed it on again. I can imagine him building up the tones like a stain. I wonder what it was like for Waterhouse to make this piece? He's trying to capture the feel of Mrs. Schreiber. I mean, just look at her face. She’s soft around the edges, but there’s also this intensity, especially in her eyes. The brushstrokes around her face are so gentle, yet they give her this quiet strength. He's really thinking through the paint. The black of her dress is like a dark pool, mysterious and deep, and the red flower on it just pops. It reminds me how artists like Manet played with light and dark to bring a sense of drama and emotion to their portraits. It’s like they're all in this big conversation, pushing each other to see and feel more.