Mrs. Charles Hunter 1902

John Singer Sargent made this portrait of Mrs. Charles Hunter using charcoal on paper. Look at the quick, gestural marks; you can see the artist building up the image, rubbing back, and redefining the form. It's as though Sargent is thinking aloud, almost improvising his way through the portrait. I can imagine him stepping back, squinting, then lunging forward to add a quick scribble that captures the glint in her eye. The blurry charcoal gives everything a soft, dreamlike quality. It's not about sharp details but more about capturing an overall impression, a feeling. The dark charcoal around her hat and shoulders makes her face glow, doesn't it? Sargent was known for his society portraits, but here, it’s like he is having a conversation with artists like Manet and Whistler. He seems to be interested in the mood and atmosphere of the image. It's a reminder that artists are always in dialogue with each other, pushing boundaries and finding new ways to see.