The Green Dress 1912

John Singer Sargent created this watercolor painting, The Green Dress, probably towards the end of the 19th century. It depicts a woman in repose, reading, apparently caught in a moment of private contemplation. Sargent was an American artist, but he spent much of his life in Europe, specifically in France and England. He made a career as a portrait painter, mainly of wealthy patrons. His style was very fashionable and he was in great demand. But it’s worth noting that he also made studies like this one in watercolor. We might consider it as something of an antidote to the more formal expectations of his portrait work. It's looser and more intimate, and shows an interest in the everyday lives of women. Art historians are interested in the kind of painting that was considered appropriate for women artists, and whether this differed from how men portrayed women. To find out more, we might consult exhibition catalogues, biographies, and collections of letters from the period.