Nude Study of Thomas E. McKeller c. 1917 - 1920

This is John Singer Sargent’s ‘Nude Study of Thomas E. McKeller’, a raw and intimate portrait created with oil on canvas. Look at how the warm flesh tones emerge from the dark background through these gestural marks. You can almost feel Sargent's hand moving across the canvas, building the form with layer upon layer of paint. I like to think about what Sargent was thinking as he painted McKeller. Did he labour over the details, or did he dash it off in a fit of inspiration? The way the light catches McKeller’s skin, how his gaze is directed upwards - it’s as if Sargent captured a moment of vulnerability. What’s so interesting for me is how Sargent allows the painting to be unfinished, leaving certain areas unresolved. For me, this piece captures the potential of painting – an ongoing conversation with the world around us.