Katharine Gray Dodge 1910

Frank Benson painted "Katharine Gray Dodge" in 1914 with what looks like a playful looseness that invites you into the process of seeing. The colour palette is muted, a soft dance of whites and pale pinks and lilacs, and the brushwork is visible, almost like a sketch. Up close, you can see Benson allows the strokes to remain distinct. The lilac is made up of individual dabs of paint, building up the form, and the subtle modulations in the background suggest the influence of Whistler. The whole painting breathes with this kind of delicate, tactile quality. Look at the way the light catches the folds of her dress – it's not about precise representation, but about capturing the feeling of light and shadow. The little blue bow in her hair is a focal point, and it is painted in a really luscious way, it reminds me of the ribbon in Manet's Olympia. What this painting shares with Impressionism is its dedication to the fleeting and the changeable, it captures a moment in time, an exchange of ideas, a passing mood, but it avoids conclusions.