Portrait of Sir Max Michaelis 1925

John Singer Sargent made this portrait of Sir Max Michaelis with what looks like charcoal, and it's all about the touch, the pressure, the feel of the material against the paper. You can really sense Sargent feeling his way through the image. The texture is so alive, right? Look at the way the charcoal catches the light, especially in the background, where it’s almost vibrating. The strokes are so physical, it’s like Sargent is sculpting with the charcoal. Then, you see the tie, and the cross-hatching that models the jacket, so confident. It feels like he really sunk into the process of making the image, losing himself in the marks. The sheer confidence in the mark-making reminds me of Manet, and the way he used to just go for it, trusting his instincts. For me, art is an ongoing conversation across time. There’s no one right answer, no single way to see this portrait. It’s all about possibilities.