Head of Capri Girl 1878

John Singer Sargent captured this oil on canvas portrait, Head of Capri Girl. immediately we are struck by the formal tensions between the precision of the girl's face and the sketchiness of the surrounding composition. The face is rendered with careful detail and naturalistic colour, while the rest of the painting is abstracted, loose brushstrokes, and open canvas. This contrast invites a semiotic reading of the painting. We are encouraged to engage with the traditional notion of portraiture, which often seeks to represent an individual’s likeness and character. At the same time the abstract elements of the artwork destabilize this expectation. The semiotic function of portraiture is complicated here, as it encourages us to consider the boundaries between representation and abstraction. The formal structure of Sargent's "Head of Capri Girl" questions the fixed meanings of artistic categories. Through its engagement with both representation and abstraction, the artwork facilitates an exchange between the viewer and the subject, and encourages ongoing interpretation.