May 31, 2024 - Last year I had the chance to visit the Smithsonian. What a wonderful collection of museums! The National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum art huge highlights for me. One of the many masterpieces in the collection is John Singer Sargent's painting of Elizabeth Chanler. Sargent imbued such a graceful confidence into this portrait. It was painted in 1893. I managed to get some really nice captures of it! Because of when it was painted, and the subject being wealthy, we do have a good surviving photo of her. I thought it was interesting to compare! Okay, onto the stunning details. I know that when I paint hands and fingers, I rarely tell the model to make your fingers look like a jumble of elegant pasta and intertwine them all so it's INSANELY CHALLENGING…