John Singer Sargent was a master of portraits. You can't help but look at these paintings and be impressed by their beauty, elegance, and feminine confidence. He paints them all in fashionable, delicate dresses, usually looking straight at us firm and unafraid.
Sargent knew his audience, knew what his subjects wanted, and he was very good at giving it to them. No doubt he made people look better on canvas than they did in real life (he did need a salary), and though he may be criticized for being influenced too much by his patrons and subjects, we are often exposed to mainly these portraits. We usually are not so familiar with his non-portrait paintings that don't really seem to be painted for other people, especially the works created towards the end of his life. He created many beautiful watercolors with varying subjects including members of his family and friends, scenes of Venice, and different landscapes from around the world.
It is incredible to see the way he understands light and texture. The painting on the left convincingly shows rays of sunlight reflecting off of the ripples and the colorful stones at the bottom of this shallow pool. I like how the subject is very simple and something you can easily find in nature, but he makes it into an interesting scene.
It is incredible to see the way he understands light and texture. The painting on the left convincingly shows rays of sunlight reflecting off of the ripples and the colorful stones at the bottom of this shallow pool. I like how the subject is very simple and something you can easily find in nature, but he makes it into an interesting scene.
These paintings have a much different feel to them than his portraits. They seem less pressured to produce polished paintings interested in making something look more attractive, and more content to sit and observe the natural beauty of the surroundings. They have almost an impressionistic feel, seem to capture small moments from daily scenes that entice one to stop and admire and ponder, though his style is more realistic than impressionistic.
Like most artists and people, Sargent had various sides to himself and his art. He is known for painting these rich and glamorous people, but he was also interested in painting nature and scenes from more everyday experiences. I'm sure most people like me are not so aware of his watercolors, but he definitely understood the medium and was obviously very talented in it. It is pretty impressive he was able to paint subjects that are so different from one another and in such different styles.
John Singer Sargent is just that good.
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