Study for ‘History’, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1916 - 1921

John Singer Sargent made this study for ‘History’ with oil paint, but the date is unknown. Look closely at the light. It’s almost like a spotlight, right? I think Sargent is doing something similar with his painting style. The blue background is just a wash, very thin, so it feels like a preliminary sketch, but the figure is more detailed. What is most striking about it is how the light falls on the body and the fabric. This gives the figure a sculptural quality. It’s as if he’s trying to make painting into sculpture, and sculpture into light. I’m reminded of Courbet in the way Sargent uses light and shadow to give the figure a certain weight, and the way he uses brushwork to create a sense of movement. I like how the painting balances between old and new, it feels like a conversation, and it’s never truly finished.