John Singer Sargent: An Artist’s Artist
Can you imagine John Singer Sargent doing a painting a day? The answer is yes, without breaking a sweat.
As I prepare for my second 30-day painting-a-day challenge starting shortly on September 1st, I can’t help but wonder what Sargent would choose to paint each day.
Would it be a watercolor? Sargent’s dazzles us with his use of bright light and shadow playing over surfaces – with such fluidity and ease in this medium that he never ceases to amaze me.
An Arab Woman by John Singer Sargent, Watercolor.
“Escutcheon of Charles V of Spain” by John Singer Sargent, 1912, Watercolor and graphite on white wove paper
A pencil drawing? Sargent has an uncanny ability to represent people with an economy of strokes. He did more sketches of the infamous Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau) than he did for any other portrait. Here she’s sitting down, unlike in the final full-length portrait that almost derailed his career.
“Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau)”. 1883-84, Graphite on off-white wove paper
A charcoal? Like this elegant depiction of American actor Mary Anderson. I love how he set the smooth skin again a dark background, and used an eraser to delineate the folds of the scarf.
“Mary Anderson” by John Singer Sargent, 1913, Charcoal on paper.
Or, how about an oil painting? Maybe he would set the scene outdoors, as he does here. Sargent’s light-filled oil sketches are brilliantly painted, demonstrating his uncanny ability to depict the most important elements with loose but telling brushstrokes that makes this work look effortless.
“A Gust of Wind” by John Singer Sargent, 1883, Oil on canvas.
These are just a few of the delightful works at the Metropolitan Museums of Art’s impressive portrait show, John Singer Sergeant: Artists and Friends (open through October 4th, 2015).
The exhibit includes a variety of work from the freer works above, to many more tightly rendered and traditional commissioned paintings – but nonetheless impressive works. Admittedly the selection you see here is more slanted towards light-filling paintings full of exuberance, and feature more women.
Here we see an early self-portrait, Sargent’s first double portrait (Jay’s favorite painting of the entire show), and his tribute to his art teacher, which was so accomplished that some people commented that the student already surpassed the teacher.
John Singer Sargent Self-Portrait
“Edouard and Marie-Louise Pailleron” by John Singer Sargent, 1881, Oil on canvas
“Carolus-Duran” by John Singer Sargent, 1879, Oil on canvas
Even in large formal commissioned portraits, Sargent’s brilliant bravura brushwork shines through. In this vibrant painting of Mrs. Hugh Hammersley, a patron of the arts and notable hostess, Sargent masterfully juxtaposed a variety of fabric textures in this strikingly energetic pose that showcases her engaging personality. Closer scrutiny of the pink velvet shows that he describes the essence of the rich fabric and her satin shoes with a minimum of detail.
“Mrs. Hugh Hammersley” by John Singer Sargent, 1892, Oil on canvas
Detail from “Mrs. Hugh Hammersley” by John Singer Sargent
Sargent: Artists and Friends is a fascinating compendium of Sargent’s large circle of talented contemporaries, including friends, acquaintances and patrons, and is a reflection of the rarified world in which he moved – from France, England, Germany, and Italy to America.
Sargent seemed to thrive on hanging out with other artists, some more famous than others, and documented his visits with them in many informal compositions. Some of Sargent’s freshest works are more spontaneous paintings of his artistic friends, including author Robert Louis Stephenson (who he painted 3 times), Claude Monet (who needs no description!), and a close friend and fellow painter, Paul Helleau, with his wife leaning against the boat. (I know this last painting well since it’s on the cover of my first book on American Impressionism, the subject of my master’s thesis.)
“Robert Louis Stephenso” by John Singer Sargent, 1887, Oil on canvas.
Claude Monet By John Singer Sargent
An Out-of-Doors Stud by John Singer Sargent, 1889, Oil on canvas
One of the most striking aspects of Sargent’s career is his ability to switch seamlessly from one medium to another, and from tightly rendered commissions of patrons and champions, like Isabella Stewart Gardener, to free and spontaneous depictions of his peers, such as Monet, Rodin and Faure.
Painting portraits is a gift, as anyone who paints and has tried their hand at portraiture knows. You either have it or you don’t. And Sargent had it. And boy, did he have it! That’s why I call Sargent an artist’s artist and would highly recommend this show, along with the audio guide to learn more about all the people involved.
And so the 30 Day Challenge probably wouldn’t have been much of a challenge for Sargent, would it? What do you think he would have done?
Whatever he chose, I’m sure Sargent would have relished the opportunity, and I’m pretty confident he would be painting on a much larger scale than I plan to do. Sargent has inspired me to try a bigger panel for the Challenge (at least once) and see what happens, and to experiment more with watercolor, charcoal and pencil. And just maybe, one day, if I do enough Challenges, I can evolve my own personal painting style to record the essence of a subject using a similar economy of strokes and a equally compelling bravura… 🙂
A painting a day? Done.