It was fantastically interesting to deconstruct the painting brushstroke by brushstroke, to imagine Almina from different angles, and to search for references for the clothing, accessories, and musical instrument. The most challenging part was setting up the lighting in a way that maintained some portrait resemblance while keeping the fabric's light and shadow patterns intact. Sargent painted Almina in 1908, at the peak of his fame. She was 22 years old, the daughter of a friend and art dealer. Playing with the image of an Eastern princess, they came up with a quasi-Eastern outfit: a silk dress, a turban adorned with pearls, and a men's jacket from the artist's collection. She holds a sitar, which Sargent brought from his studio, but Almina holds the instrument casually and incorrectly, because this portrait is purely an artistic invention, a metaphor for exoticism, sensuality, and luxury 😍