Portrait Of Mrs A Lawrence Rotch 1903

John Singer Sargent painted this portrait of Mrs. A. Lawrence Rotch with oils, and what strikes me is how he’s playing with light and color to create this shimmering effect, it's like the painting is breathing. Look at the way he’s handled the fabric of her dress, so luminous and airy, with these quick, confident brushstrokes. It’s thick and thin in different places, the textures contrasting. Sargent’s really got a feel for the material, you can almost hear the rustle of the silk. The way he captures the sheen of the material with those highlights is pure painterly magic. And then there’s the detail in the lace, which is so delicate. But it's all held together with these bold strokes that give the painting such a lively presence. You see echoes of Velázquez or Manet here, in the loose brushwork and the way he captures a sense of fleeting beauty, but Sargent is doing his own thing, pushing the boundaries of portraiture.