Grey Lady (Mrs. Ince) 1912

Tom Roberts painted "Grey Lady (Mrs. Ince)" with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how he’s built up this ghostly figure with such a delicate touch. It's like he’s trying to capture not just a likeness, but a feeling, a fleeting moment. The materiality of this painting, the way Roberts has worked with the paint, is where the magic happens. It's not about hiding the process; you can see every brushstroke, every decision. Look at how the light catches the lace collar or the feathery details of her hat; it's all in these dabs and dashes of paint. The colors are muted, almost monochromatic, but there's a liveliness in the texture, a kind of dance of light and shadow. In this portrait, Roberts is echoing Whistler’s arrangements in grey and black, but adds an Australian flair. Like all great art, "Grey Lady" invites us to linger, to question, and to see the world in a new light.