The Leading Portrait Painter of His Generation
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His keen sense of observation enabled Sargent to capture people on canvas with remarkable
freshness. In a more traditional fashion, he also relied on setting and accessories
to convey the sitter’s status and personality. In the aristocratic portrait
of Lord Ribblesdale , the spare, classical architecture in the background
and the baron’s hunting outfit express his power and authority as much
as does his magisterial pose. As the number of portrait commissions grew, Sargent began to resent the amount of time and energy they consumed. In 1907, eager to work on other projects -- notably a series of murals for the Boston Public Library -- he suddenly declared his intent to give up portraiture. During the last twenty years of his life he painted fewer than thirty portraits. (continue) |
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Portrait Painter | Watercolors | Late Studies | Brochure Images