| Title | : | Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0847845273 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780847845279 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published February 12, 2015 |
Accompanying a major exhibition, this is the first book devoted to the career of this renowned American painter through his brilliant portraits. John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was one of the leading painters of his generation, whose captivating portraits are universally admired for their insight into character, radiance of light and color, and painterly fluency and immediacy. This unprecedented book showcases Sargent’s cosmopolitan career in a new light—through his bold portraits of artists, writers, actors, and musicians, many of them his close friends—giving us a picture of the artist as an intellectual and connoisseur of the music, art, and literature of his day. Whether depicted in well-appointed interiors or en plein air, the cast of characters includes many famous subjects, among them Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Gabriel Fauré, Vaslav Nijinsky, W. B. Yeats, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Henry James. Structured thematically and according to the places Sargent worked and lived—Paris, London, New York, Italy, and the Alps—this book unites informative essays by noted scholars with a wealth of imagery to offer fresh insights into Sargent’s life and work.
Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends Reviews
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I began this book at about 7:00 last night. At 11:30 I realized that I should probably start thinking about going to bed.
That's the effect Sargent's art has. It's fully engrossing, drawing the viewer in through its vibrancy and life.
The book is comprised of several essays by different authors, each focusing on a different period of Sargent's life. The text is interspersed with dozens, probably hundreds of Sargent's portraits; a brilliant idea well executed. -
I never tire of looking at John Singer Sargent's paintings. This book, an exhibition catalog from 2015, showcases some of the artist's most striking oils and sketches and for the uninitiated, is an excellent introduction to Sargent's life and work. Six essays organize the book into geographical sections documenting Sargent's time in London, other areas of Europe, and the United States. Each of the 92 highlighted images is accompanied by a description of the circumstances for the work and an analysis of its features. The reader can easily see the brushwork in the paintings to gain understanding of Sargent's technique. I'm looking forward to reading Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X, which delves into the controversy surrounding one of the artist's most famous portraits.
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For fans of Sargent, this book captures much of his best known portrait paintings in nearly 100 full page, sharp, color reproductions. The essays by author Ormand are well written and informative. After I read this book and enjoyed the glorious paintings, I had the feeling that Sargent must have had some great friendships. If you like this book, take a look at the recent book of Sargent’s charcoal portraits, by the same author.
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This beautifully produced book mirrors the recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which I had the privilege of attending several times.
The reproductions and printing are excellent and will give you a new appreciation of Sargent's mastery. In addition to several essays recounting his life, each painting is accompanied by a description of the people in the picture and their relationship to Sargent. It is a wonderful peek into the lives of these well-to-do, intelligent characters. It is a look, too, at life before World War I. (There is one painting from after the war).
If you are an art lover, or looking for a gift for one, you'll want to get this book.
