The Brook 1907

John Singer Sargent made "The Brook", we don't know exactly when, in oil paint. It is a scene of figures in nature, but it is equally about Sargent trying to figure out how paint works. Look at the strokes of paint that make up the rocks these figures are lying on. The paint is applied so thickly, it almost has its own topography, but it is also so loose it almost dissolves into abstraction. Notice the way Sargent uses cool blues and greens, and complements them with warmer yellows and browns. This creates a sense of light and shadow, but also a feeling of vibrancy. You can see that Sargent had fun, and that is the fun of painting: it is an experiment! This is reminiscent of Manet's paintings, in which the brushstrokes are visible and the figures seem to emerge from the canvas. Both artists were interested in capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, rather than creating a highly detailed representation of reality. Ultimately, art is always in conversation.