Through this reading assignment, I was able to learn about the life and accomplishments of John Singer Sargent, a prominent and well-known artist. Born in Florence to American parents, Sargent proved to be a very determined and aspiring young man. Despite his “Baedeker education”, Sargent developed to be a talented individual; He played the piano and learned to speak multiple languages. By the age of 16, Sargent was enrolled in his first formal art training class, and a few months later, was taken to Paris to continue and pursue his talent. Through guidance of many prestigious artists, Sargent quickly grasped the art of painting, and by the age of 20, was already working on building his own artistic career.
What I found so inspiring about Sargent’s biography was how quickly his artistic career evolved, and how distinguished he became at such a young age. Much of his rapid progress was due to his supportive parents, who not only encouraged him to draw, but his father even moved him to Paris (which the article states that it “had become the world’s most powerful magnet for art students”). All that proved to be worthwhile, as Sargent is now to known to have created many acclaimed paintings, murals, and watercolors.
While reading “Picture and Text”, I quickly picked up on how fondly Henry James spoke of John Singer Sargent and of his artwork. He chooses a few of his favorite works of Sargant’s, and shares his thoughts on each piece. When I first opened this document, I went straight to look at the paintings to explore my own understanding of the paintings. The two paintings I was instantly drawn to were “Young Lady in Black” and “Incensing the Veil”.
For “Young Lady in Black” I was struck with (at least what I thought) the contradiction between the subject’s facial expression and the setting of the portrait. On first glimpse, the painting seemed to have an almost “proper” and “royal” aura to it, but her face seemed to depict otherwise. Though she wears a fine outfit and is seen holding a delicate flower, her facial expression (specifically her mouth) and her body position (the arm bent back, rested on her hip) exhibit slight impatience. I would agree most with James when he says that “the face is young, candid, and peculiar”.
When I came upon the painting “Incensing the Veil”, I immediately questioned it. Who is the subject of the painting? What is she doing? Where is she? I wasn’t really able to answer these questions on my own, but I feel somewhat content knowing that James (who has a deep and rich understanding for the arts) is confused as well when he says, “I know not who this stately Mahometan may be, nor in what mysterious domestic or religious rite she may be engaged…”.
Both of these paintings caught my attention because the meaning (or my interpretation of it, at least) was not immediately evident. This intrigued me and drew me in to try and better understand the wonderful paintings that Sargent drew.
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