Izme Vickers 1907

John Singer Sargent made this large oil painting of Izme Vickers at an undetermined date. Sargent's loose brushwork and muted palette create an elegant, shimmering effect. The way he built up the layers of paint, it's almost sculptural, like he was carving the figure out of light. I’m drawn to the way the pinks and creams in her dress catch the light, especially the way the fabric bunches and folds around her waist. It's as if Sargent captured the fleeting moment of a breath, a subtle shift in posture. The way he built up the textures is really interesting; some areas are smoothly blended, while others have visible brushstrokes that give the painting a sense of immediacy. It makes me think of Manet, who was also interested in capturing the fleeting moments of modern life with a sense of spontaneity and painterly freedom. It's this ambiguity, this dance between representation and abstraction, that keeps me coming back to Sargent's work.