John Singer Sargent
by
Emily Cottrill
JOHN SINGER SARGENT
1856-1925
Many refer to John Singer Sargent as an American painter, and you
will find his works hanging in art museums next to late
nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art. He was,
however, born in Europe, and he lived there the majority of his
life. His parents went abroad before John was born and traveled a
great deal while he was growing up. Educated by his father and
mother, he demonstrated an inclination toward art at an early
age. Because the family moved frequently, they never enrolled
Sargent in an art school for formal training. Nevertheless, when
he was eighteen, he was accepted at the prestigious French
academy L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he excelled.
Early in his career, Sargent decided to focus on portrait
painting, and this niche suited him well. His particular gift was
painting group portraits, and few artists in history have
executed them as well as he did. Sargent painted portraits from
life without much pre-drawing or underpainting on his canvases,
enabling us to see how talented he was. He laid down all of his
color and lines with precision, though some brushstrokes are
loose in an impressionist style. These loose strokes describe the
surface quality and structure of his subjects perfectly. His
ability to portray the texture and sheen of fabrics is especially
noteworthy.
Almost from the first, wealthy patrons sought after Sargent to
paint their portraits - socialites of Paris and London, Theodore
Roosevelt, and Robert Louis Stevenson among them. He brilliantly
composed his subjects to describe their personality and
character, often placing them in interiors that seem just as
important as the people who occupy them. Later in life, Sargent
traveled extensively, spending much time in the United States. On
his travels, he painted landscapes, especially in watercolor. His
ability to paint directly on his canvas made these landscapes
fresh and full of life. Though he will always be remembered for
his portraits, his watercolors are beautiful, and modern viewers
will appreciate seeing the places this world traveler shares with
us.
1856-1925
Many refer to John Singer Sargent as an American painter, and you
will find his works hanging in art museums next to late
nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art. He was,
however, born in Europe, and he lived there the majority of his
life. His parents went abroad before John was born and traveled a
great deal while he was growing up. Educated by his father and
mother, he demonstrated an inclination toward art at an early
age. Because the family moved frequently, they never enrolled
Sargent in an art school for formal training. Nevertheless, when
he was eighteen, he was accepted at the prestigious French
academy L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he excelled.
Early in his career, Sargent decided to focus on portrait
painting, and this niche suited him well. His particular gift was
painting group portraits, and few artists in history have
executed them as well as he did. Sargent painted portraits from
life without much pre-drawing or underpainting on his canvases,
enabling us to see how talented he was. He laid down all of his
color and lines with precision, though some brushstrokes are
loose in an impressionist style. These loose strokes describe the
surface quality and structure of his subjects perfectly. His
ability to portray the texture and sheen of fabrics is especially
noteworthy.
Almost from the first, wealthy patrons sought after Sargent to
paint their portraits - socialites of Paris and London, Theodore
Roosevelt, and Robert Louis Stevenson among them. He brilliantly
composed his subjects to describe their personality and
character, often placing them in interiors that seem just as
important as the people who occupy them. Later in life, Sargent
traveled extensively, spending much time in the United States. On
his travels, he painted landscapes, especially in watercolor. His
ability to paint directly on his canvas made these landscapes
fresh and full of life. Though he will always be remembered for
his portraits, his watercolors are beautiful, and modern viewers
will appreciate seeing the places this world traveler shares with
us.