The Necklace c. 1907

Thomas Wilmer Dewing painted this picture of a woman with a necklace, probably in oil paint, but who knows when? Dewing’s paintings are like daydreams, where colours float like memory and the brushstrokes are soft. The greens and golds melt together, making it hard to tell where things start and stop. Look at how he paints the dress; the brushstrokes aren’t just showing us fabric, they’re also dancing around, making patterns. It makes me think about how much painting is about what you do, not just what you see. The way the light catches the woman’s shoulder, just a few strokes of creamy paint, is enough to make her feel real. There’s something so intimate about the marks, like he’s whispering a secret about beauty. Reminds me a little of Whistler, the way he creates a mood more than a scene. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation, with the artist, with the painting, and with ourselves.