Annabel Gray 1901 - 1904

Theodora Thayer made this small portrait of Annabel Gray at an unknown date. It's a painting in tones of grey that feels like a drawing, but also a memory, a sketch of a person more than a definitive portrait. The paint is applied thinly, like washes of watercolor, but with the texture of oil. Look at the way the ground is visible, almost as though the painting emerged from it, like a photograph slowly coming into focus in a darkroom. The strokes around the face and hair have a light, feathery quality. See how they contrast with the bolder, darker strokes that define the sitter's features? It's as though Thayer is building up the image gradually, layer by layer. This quiet, contemplative approach reminds me of the work of Gwen John, who also favored muted palettes and intimate, introspective portraits. Thayer and John share an interest in suggestion over clarity, embracing ambiguity as a way of capturing the fleeting, ever-changing nature of human experience.