Madame Melba 1902

Rupert Bunny painted this portrait of Madame Melba, possibly in oil on canvas, imagining a figure in a landscape, almost like a mirage. The brushwork feels soft and suggestive, with hazy blues and greens creating a dreamy backdrop. I wonder what it was like for Bunny to be in his studio, maybe trying to conjure a sense of ethereal beauty and elegance with each stroke. Her dress is rendered with such delicate attention, you can almost feel the texture of the fabric. It's easy to imagine the thought process behind it. Maybe he was trying to evoke a sense of timelessness, as though she exists outside of any particular era? It makes me think about other painters, like Whistler, who were also interested in capturing a mood or atmosphere, rather than just a likeness. Painting is like a conversation that never ends, where ideas bounce back and forth across generations.