Portrait of Jane Shattuck 1904

Frank Benson painted this portrait of Jane Shattuck with oil on canvas at an unknown date. The painting is all about light, how it softens the edges and makes the colors glow. You can see how Benson works with the paint, almost like he’s sculpting with it, especially in the dress. The dress! So much of the painting is about that dress. It’s painted with such thick, creamy strokes, that you can almost feel the texture of the fabric. Look closely and you can see how each brushstroke builds up, layer upon layer, to create this cloud of white. It’s as if Benson is saying, ‘Here is the essence of girlhood, captured in paint.’ It reminds me of John Singer Sargent, who also had a knack for capturing the fleeting beauty of youth. But what I love most about this painting is that it doesn’t try to be too perfect. It embraces ambiguity. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist and the world.