Young Woman with a Black Skirt c. early 1880s

Editor: Here we have John Singer Sargent's watercolor, "Young Woman with a Black Skirt," dating from the early 1880s. It’s… striking how quickly it's rendered, but she still has a very strong presence. It almost feels like she was caught in a fleeting moment. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, I find it utterly enchanting! You know, Sargent had this incredible ability to capture not just a likeness, but a feeling. The way he suggests the texture of the fabric with such economical brushstrokes, almost a whispered suggestion rather than a declaration, speaks volumes. She's there, yet she's ephemeral, a dreamlike figure in a wash of color. Editor: I hadn't really thought of the 'dreamlike' quality, but I see what you mean with how light and airy the background is, compared to the weight of the skirt. Why watercolour rather than oils? Curator: Ah, a fabulous question! Watercolor lent itself beautifully to Sargent's desire for immediacy. Oils can be labored, considered; watercolour feels spontaneous, reflective of that "fleeting moment" you intuited. And note how the paper itself becomes part of the composition—it breathes! A watercolour, particularly of a young woman, might embody this transience better than more worked forms. Does the way it dissolves into the page affect your sense of the sitter? Editor: Absolutely! It definitely makes her feel less… concrete, I guess? More of a memory or an impression. I see it now. Curator: Precisely! Art is a tricky play between seeing and *feeling*. Sargent coaxes us to consider both in equal measure! What a trickster. Editor: I love the subtlety of the emotion captured. There’s such confidence in every brushstroke. Thanks. Curator: Indeed! The way Sargent utilizes spontaneity is the soul of the work! Thank you for sharing this perception.