John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), American painter, who is known for his glamorous portraits of eminent or socially prominent people of the period. Born in Florence, Italy, of American parents, Sargent spent much of his youth travelling around Europe with his mother. He was exposed to art from an early age, and studied painting in Italy, France, and Germany. In 1874 he was sent to Paris for formal art education, which he received at the École des Beaux-Arts and in the studio of the noted French portraitist Charles Carolus-Duran.

Sargent gradually established a reputation in Paris, successfully exhibiting portraits at the Salon, until his portrait of Madame Gautreau (the work is also known as Madame X, 1883-1884, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) created controversy with its unusual format. Following this scandal, Sargent began to spend time in London and settled there permanently in 1886. Intially criticized in England for over-technicality, Sargent's skill as a portraitist was increasingly sought after during the 1890s. He made several trips to the United States, where he was very well received. Around 1907 Sargent tired of portrait painting and accepted few commissions. He then worked chiefly on European scenes in watercolour, in a notably Impressionistic style. Sargent's portraits fell into disfavour after his death and were disapproved of for what some believed to be a superficial brilliance. Since that time, however, these same canvases have been acknowledged for their naturalism and superb technical skill. Among Sargent's more famous works are El Jaleo (1882, Gardner Museum, Boston), Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1885-1886, Tate Gallery, London), Isabella Stewart Gardner (1888, Gardner Museum, Boston), and The Wyndham Sisters (1900, Metropolitan Museum of Art).