Mary Eliza Mead c. 1893

John Singer Sargent’s “Mary Eliza Mead” is a portrait from c. 1893 depicting a woman in a simple black dress and a purple ribbon in her hair. The portrait shows a woman of a certain age, and her expression is calm and dignified. The background is out of focus but suggests an interior setting. This piece is characteristic of Sargent’s portrait work, known for its loose brushwork, expressive realism and nuanced depiction of character. Sargent, born in 1856 and died in 1925, is considered one of the most prominent portrait painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.