I love this work. There is so much character in his portraits, defined in unusual places, by the strength of the rich tones, the amalgamation of smudgy brushstrokes. What seems white is never white, and your eye is drawn to seek out what is in the dark. I remember standing in front of his paintings, wanting to get closer and closer as though I would then be able to see what is shadowed. He understood movement, body carriage and tension. These people painted 100 years ago seem so real, so believable. Full of mood, even more so in person when the sheen off the oil adds to its depth. (I've been imagining spaces and event design lately while thinking of him...perhaps more from this vein later.)
Spanish Dancer
Ena and Betty, Daughters of Asher and Mrs Wertheimer
Portraits of Edouard and Marie-Louise Pailleron(this one's at the Des Moines Art Center, and stunning)
Lady Agnew
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
3 comments:
sargent is also one of my favorite artists. i have always been enchanted with portrait artists and the way they capture the soul of their subject... like looking into a room and noting all the objects placed in special places.
Ah, Sargent...did you know that he really didn't want to be a portrait artist so much? Pay the bills you know. He was brilliant at it, though. When you walk by the portrait of Marie Louise and Eduard in the DM Art Center, you see her face defiantly returning your stare, and you want to know more.
Mom
I read that he wanted to be a landscape artist but was trained in portraiture, yes? His parents just galavanted around Europe and he never went to school! :) I really like the children's portrait...the red background, the rage in that little girl's face! (a tour guide at the dmac told us that she was mad he made her wear that itchy lace and that she couldn't be playing outside)
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