Portrait of Daniel J. Nolan 1917

John Singer Sargent made this portrait of Daniel J. Nolan with oil on canvas, and I can just imagine him building the image with broad strokes, finding the form as he went. The color palette is mostly dark browns and creams, and it gives the painting a feeling of warmth, like it was made in a cozy room, a refuge. You can really see the brushstrokes, especially around the eyes and the folds of the shirt. The paint looks pretty thin but layered, it has this liquid quality to it, like Sargent was chasing the light and shadow, always in motion. I wonder what they were talking about as Sargent painted? Was he trying to capture not just Nolan's appearance but something of his spirit? Maybe his essence was captured right there in the materiality of the paint? It makes me think about other portraits, like those by Velazquez or Manet. Artists are always looking at each other, remixing ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what paint can do. Painting is this ongoing conversation across time, and we are invited to listen in.