Art Talk: John Singer Sargent

In my post about the Taft Museum I mentioned Sargent and Whistler.

@rosiew commented asking

I'm very curious as to why Whistler and Sargent are some of your favorite 19th century artists.

Let's start with John Singer Sargent

Who is John Singer Sargent?

He was an American Impressionist painter. He lived in 1856-1925. He was born in Florence to American parents and lived most of his life in Europe. He was an famous portrait artist and did some amazing portraits of Isabella Stewart Gardner you will see below. ¹

These are all painting that I have seen and really like. I will group them by museum.

I will put a source if I did not take the picture. I am breaking one of my own rules--to only use original photographs in my posts. Since there are some pictures I really want to show it is worth breaking my rule.

National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC

I adore this picture! I go to it every time I go to the NGA of art. I stand in front of it. As I ponder I am not even sure what it is that I feel. Maybe melancholy? Maybe serenity? It evokes emotion and just look at the light, color and the ability Sargent had to great different textures with his paint. Incredible.

John Singer Sargent
Nonchaloir (Repose), 1911

I can see myself in both of these scenes too. As a young girl on the beach with my family (which I did many times since I grew up in San Diego California) or walking solo through the streets of Venice. Right before my senior year of college I went on a tour of Europe and by the time we got to Venice there were lots of couples in the group and I felt very alone in a very romantic city.

---

Freer Gallery of Art
Washington, DC

A small Asian Art museum that has some great American art including Sargent and Whistler.

I can see myself in this picture. Spending time with my good friend out in the courtyard. Love it.

John Singer Sargent
Breakfast in the Loggia, 1917

Chicago Art Institute circa 2015
Chicago, Illinois

You know I like it when I get a picture in front of it!

The Fountain is the most romantic of all of Sargent's pictures for me. I don't paint. I would like to and en plain air in front of waterfall with my significant other there to keep me company and support me is idealic.

---

Taft Museum of Art
Cincinnati, Ohio

It is an interesting portrait of a this famous Scottish author. He wrote Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

I am a big reader. I should read Treasure Island again! I just checked it out from the library.

John Singer Sargent
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1887

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Boston, Massachusetts

Perhaps two of my favorite Sargent pictures are of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

Isabella Stewart Gardner is one of my favorite art collectors and the fact that she and Sargent were life long friends and he did her portrait as a young woman and an old lady is so wonderful to me.

John Singer Sargent
Isabella Stewart Gardner, 1888
Isabella Stewart Gardner Musuem

---

John Singer Sargent
Mrs. Gardner in White, 1922
Isabella Stewart Gardner Musuem
She died two years later

---

And of course the beautiful painting. Look at that light and movement!

John Singer Sargent
El Jaleo, 1882
Isabella Stewart Gardner Musuem

---

Rosie, to answer your question, there is a certain romanticism in Sargent's paintings that really draw me to them. The portraits are not my favorite, except for the Isabella Stewart Gardener ones. It is his other paintings when he stepped outside the portraits that is when he painted best, in my option. I "feel" when I see these pictures. I see myself in the pictures. That is why I really like John Singer Sargent.

Thanks for asking. It was fun to find and put all my favorite Sargent pictures in one place.

Personal 30 Day Challenge- Day 6

Art Talk Series Highlights

Art Talk: 2020 Posts
Art Talk: 2019 Posts
Art Talk: 2018 Posts