Portrait of Angela McInnes, later Angela Thirkell, granddaughter of Sir Edward Burne-Jones 1915

John Singer Sargent made this portrait of Angela McInnes with charcoal on paper in 1915, and looking at it, you can tell that he knew exactly what he was doing. The way he's built up the tones is so deft; see how the charcoal is both powdery and precise, creating a sense of light and shadow that's soft yet structured? The surface of the paper peeks through, giving it this airy, unfinished quality, but it's all deliberate, you know? It’s like he’s letting us in on the process, showing us how a few well-placed lines can conjure a whole person. Take a look at the eyes, how they seem to gaze right through you, but it's just a trick of the light. This portrait has some of the same vibes as Whistler's portraits; that quiet, elegant, understated drama. It reminds us that art isn't just about capturing a likeness, it's about capturing a mood.