I went to the Met looking for Beauty in provincial American art. Instead I found a Zen master in John Singer Sargent.

I've never gotten goosebumps from a painting before - but when I looked at the white flower in this painting I got them in a way that sent shocks down my spine.

Not only are all Sargent's paintings effortlessly beautiful, they straddle perfectly the line between perfection and imperfection, and are the most sophisticated paintings I've ever seen: Beauty in Simplicity.