The Bathers 1917

Here's John Singer Sargent's, The Bathers, painted with watercolors. Just think about the flow of water, how it seeps into the paper. I bet Sargent had a blast with the accidents that happen when you use a brush and water, right? The way he’s built up the colours and light, particularly around the figures, is so free and juicy. Look at the body of the figure on the left, how his back is made of quick, watery brushstrokes. You can almost feel the wetness of the place. I can almost imagine him standing there in the sun and thinking about the way the light is affecting his perception. Sargent was a genius, and he knew a lot about painting in general. And, like all artists, he’s been in dialogue with other artists, even those who came way before him. As a painter myself, I think of painting as a form of embodied expression, embracing uncertainty and allowing multiple interpretations over fixed readings. I wonder, what do you see?