Arab Woman 1905 - 1906

John Singer Sargent made this watercolor called Arab Woman sometime around the turn of the century. It's all soft edges and blended color, like he was trying to catch a memory before it faded. Look at the way the light seems to pour over the figure. The paint is thin, almost transparent, letting the paper breathe underneath. There’s this spot on the woman's chest where he's dabbed a bit of pure white – it’s like a concentrated burst of light. You can almost feel the heat radiating off it. It’s interesting how Sargent doesn't give us a face, just this veiled figure. It's as if he's more interested in the play of light and shadow than in capturing a likeness. This reminds me a little of the watercolors of someone like Emil Nolde, who was also using the medium to create emotionally resonant images. Art’s just this big conversation, right?