Study for Mrs. Alice Mason c. 1885

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent’s Study for Mrs. Alice Mason. It's a striking charcoal drawing. There's something so direct about her gaze. As a study, it feels very modern. What was Sargent trying to convey about Mrs. Mason? Curator: It’s interesting you mention "modernity." Sargent walked a fine line. Portraiture, particularly of women, had very specific social functions. What do you notice about the area surrounding the head? Editor: It's very dark, a loose rendering. Curator: Exactly. Consider how the setting—or lack thereof—and the intense focus on her face challenges the conventions of formal portraiture at the time. It draws our attention to the individual, rather than her social status. Editor: So the artistic choices were quietly revolutionary in their own way. I never thought about portraiture having such social constraints. Curator: Indeed. It reveals a lot about art's role in reinforcing, or even questioning, social norms.