But then his exemplars were Frans Hals and Velasquez. And that’s also why he was so brilliant with black. The best example of that was his masterpiece, Madame X, viz, Madam Pierre Gautreau, in a devastatingly simple black velvet bodice that sets off the ivory whiteness of her bosom and bare arms: you can see why it was infamous (its sexiness nearly destroyed her reputation) and unforgettable.