John Singer Sargent and a Very Unpleasant Woman at the Morgan Library

I asked the front desk person why the Morgan Library was so packed. It’s never packed. 

She said it was because everyone waited until the last minute to check out the John Singer Sargent drawings. Last day is tomorrow.

Right. I rolled my eyes at the same time as her. Then I beelined to the John Singer Sargent exhibit.

I saw this water color I really liked:

John Singer Sargent Watercolor at the Morgan Library

We all have a friend who used to be that guy when he was 26 and knew everything about existentialism and nihilism and John Coltrane.

I looked at this painting for a while the first time I saw it, but then decided to go back and snap a picture. A small crowd had gathered in front of it, including a hawkish woman in a light blue sweater. 

As we inched closer to the picture, I got the distinct impression that this woman’s goal was not to see the painting, but to position herself in front of me so I couldn't see it. I felt the combat vibes spilling off of her.

At the point when her little battle royale became ridiculous, I just leaned in and said, “mind if I snap a quick photo?” I had three seconds to revel in the triumph of getting what I wanted.

But on the 4th second, the hawkish woman managed to trip over my foot. She gave me a withering glance. 

I said, “Oh sorry.”

Somehow I felt like she won the round by becoming a victim of it.