Category: Reading Responses (Page 10 of 11)

I personally have never heard of John Singer Sargent before reading about him and his artworks. John Sargent was raised with an extraordinary background. He studied German, Italian, and French, as well as a broad range of subjects. John Sargent was an accomplished pianist but his roots in the art of drawing came from his mother. His father sought to nourish Sargent’s talents and sent him to study under Carolus-Duran, whom Sargents soon became the protege of. Known as an “American” artist, I believe that Sargent is far from being an American artist. His origin is tied to mainly European countries as well as where his drawing style originates from.

His most well known painting “Madam X” is closely associated with the “French style” of painting. Sargent gained notoriety from his style of painting. Madam X was created on no commission and embodied the art styles of various artists including, Velázquez, and Edouard Manet. Madam X received more ridicule than praise due to Sargents daring portrayal of the women’s personal style. I see Madam X as an exquisite painting that depicts the personality of the sitter. His painting captures my attention with his bold and precise colors that emphasize her features. From head to toe, Sargent includes minute details that captivates observers. Madam X’s face for example makes one wonder what she may be thinking about, where she is looking, and etc, arousing curiosity in the observer. I believe that Sargents painting, “Madam X” was created during a more conservative period and therefore was not as well accepted, but at the same time gained the fame for it because of its bold style.

Madame X(1884)

Another one of John Singer Sargent’s painting that appealed to me would be ” The Daughters of  Edward Darley Boit.”

This painting consists of half portrait, of the girls, and half interior picture. Sargents unique depiction of the girls shows a setting that creates a story behind each girl as well as the picture in the whole. This painting shows a range of shapes and proportions that give off a bewildered feeling to the painting. For example the girls being compared to the huge vase makes them seem smaller and more insignificant. In general this painting is a different and unique style that John portrays once again along with his other paintings.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once stated, “those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” This quote emphasizes the truth that everyday beauty is often overlooked and is rejected by those who can appreciate it.

John Singer Sargent is one of many realist artists during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Realism was an art movement defined by realistic depictions rather than an idealized image. It is important to note that Sargent stood outside the crowd by not solely drawing aristocrats, Sargent dedicated as much energy and skills to works of the lay man and even the poor as he did to nobles.

This focus on the everyday beauty of everyday people is superb. There are several examples of this in Sargent’s works. However, from my perspective, I find his 1887 painting, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, is the best example.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online page on Sargent does a fantastic job of explaining the work’s history. “Sargent’s most ambitious Broadway canvas was the ravishing Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (Tate Britain, London). The painting’s display at the Royal Academy in 1887 assuaged the doubts of English critics, and its acquisition for the British nation augured well for his career in London.”

Essentially,  Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose is the painting, along with Portrait of Madame X, which cemented Sargent’s notoriety in art history. Finally, when viewing Sargent’s paints, such as Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose, it is important to look past the immediate visuals that jump out. As Henry James’s “Picture and Text” points out, “Putting aside the question of the subject (and to a great portrait a common sitter will doubtless not always contribute), the highest result is achieved when to this element of quick perception a certain faculty of brooding reflection is added. ” The contrast of the colors in the painting are exquisite. The realistic nature of the painting makes the view feel as if they are viewing it in person. Perhaps, we will never know what was running through Sargent’s mind while he was painting, but it is important to contemplate what he may have been thinking. I would argue he was appreciating the beauty he was creating similarly to how we are.

John Singer Sargent was born in Europe and had lived there most of his life. However his parents are American. So what is he really? European or American? In my opinion, he is both European and American. I was born in Hong Kong. However I moved to the United States for about 12 years. But I consider myself both Chinese and American. I never saw the point in making a specific distinction. Living in U.S. most of my life doesn’t make me any less of a Chinese. Being born in China doesn’t make me any less proud of being an American. It doesn’t really matter what John Singer Sargent is, other than the fact that he is a really talented impressionist.

While reading the “Picture and Text” essay by Henry James, I had to stop to look up what is impressionism. According to Dictionary.com, impressionism is “a style of painting developed in the last third of the 19th century, characterized chiefly by short brushstrokes of bright colors in immediate juxtaposition to represent the effect of light on objects.”.  After understanding what impressionism is, I find that it is much easier to interpret and admire Sargent’s art. 

Let’s look at Sargent’s “El Jaleo” (1882) for example. After knowing the definition of impressionism, I took more notice of the juxtaposition of the color between shadow and light. Although the dancer is stand in front, the shadow that surrounds her makes her less of the center of attention. The bright light around the background dancers and musicians make them more conspicuous. The arms raised background dancers look cheerful and deep into the moment. The audience in the back with head thrown back is enjoying every moment of this festivity.

Next up, “The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit” (1882). This is by far my favorite painting by Sargent. Although the two girls is in the dark and far away, they are hard to miss. Their matching white dresses make them stand out against their dark background. They are positioned in the center of the painting, although far away. One facing away showing us only her profile, while the other is facing straight towards us. The little girl on the left of the painting staring towards us with one foot forward looking like she wants to come closer but is too shy to do so. The toddler sitting on the floor is holding her doll for comfort. All of which makes me wonder what are they thinking at this moment, what are they looking at, and what is their story. I enjoy the curiosity this painting brought to me.

Analyzing the different paintings made me understand why Sargent is known as the “recruit of high value to the camp of the Impressionist” to Henry James.

The essay on “John Singer Sargent” originally did not resinate or interest me. However, after learning about his most famous oil painting, Madame X , and the controversy behind that portrait, I began to ponder on why there was such negative feed back on the painting. Thus, I began to observe the famous portrait myself. In my first encounter with the portrait, I immediately noticed that the portrait gave off a very realistic presence.  The portrait seemed as if it were a snapshot of a women in a distracted state. In addition, I also noticed the apparent contrast between the women’s snowy white skin and her revealing black night gown. The overall shadowed background also emphasized her already pale skin. Lastly, I noticed Sargent included a deep neckline and sharp profile features in his portrait of the women. Based on the observations I made, I came up with the theory that the reason why some many people perceived the portrait negatively was because the women in the portrait eluded with confidence and an unprecedented aura of sexuality loomed around her.  I hypothesize that the confidence that the women in the portrait had fueled negative reactions, because the confidence I saw may have had transformed into arrogance in the eyes of others. The people in the late nineteenth century probably  did not see arrogance as a positive trait, thus resulting in the portrait’s controversy.  The low-cut, thinly strapped dress also played a part in the portraits controversy because many saw it as scandalous, especially since in the original Madame X sketch the strap was  dropping off her shoulder. I believe the sexuality in this portrait was new to the people of that period. As a result it was rejected as a new style of art since sexualizing women in art was viewed as offensive. It is usually easier for the people to despise and reject something then for them to except it, just like it was easier for people to reject homosexuality than for them to accept it.

In regards to John Singer Sargent as an artist, I agree with the author of “Picture and Text”  that he is an bold and articulate artist. When I look at the portraits that Sargent has painted I think he captures the character of each person in his paintings very well. For example, from Sargent’s Doctor Pozzi painting, I get the feeling that Dr. Pozzi is a person of high status because of his attire, but he does not seem hard to approach. I also get the impression that Dr. Pozzi is a confident person, but not to the point where he seems obnoxious or cocky. In another one of Sargent’s works, Lady Play Fair , I get the impression that the woman in the portrait is proud of who she is, my guess is that she is house wife. From the portrait I imagine that she is also a well-mannered and educated lady. The ability of Sargent to present these human traits in a simple painting amazes me. It is  also a mystery of how and what combination of techniques Sargent uses to achieve this effect on its audience. I wonder what mysterious message I would would convey if I had my portrait painted by Sargent.

I learned much about a renowned American artist by the name of John Singer Sargent. Although he was born in Italy, his family was originally from New England and along with his mother they returned in 1876. Hitherto unfamiliar to me,Singer Sargent accomplished many great things throughout his life. Some of these things included beautiful paintings consisting of portraits, murals, and water paintings. He did a remarkable job at diversifying his work of arts with numerous different cultures. This could attributed to his many travels throughout Europe including cities in Spain, London, and even Paris.

Reading about the life of Singer Sargent has taught that painting isn’t as simple as it seems. I requires years of learning, practice, and apprenticing. In addition to that you need to travel around the world to learn from past generations of art to gather ideas and the need knowledge to create new pieces. He dedicated his whole life to art and that is something to be admired.

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit is favorite painting of Singer Sargent’s. I love it for many reasons but mainly because of its simplicity. At a quick glance, one might be fooled that there’s not much to this picture, yet it’s so elegant and sophisticated. Further analyzing this picture you could see that there’s much more meaning to this picture than just four sisters in a room. Just by the way they are drawn you could predict their personalities, the way they treat each other, and the way they live their lives. Nothing like a painting that holds the potential to tell you more than words could.

John Singer Sargent

In John Singer Sargent’s biography, he had a unique family background, who supported, and helped nourish his  potential for art. Although his parents were American, he himself was born as a European, and traveled abroad to Spain, Holland, and Venice to gain inspiration from works by others. Through time and dedication, he received recognition for his work from England to the United States. What I feel is interesting about his style is that he was influenced by Carolus-Duran to paint immediately rather than make rough sketches first. In the Drawing and Painting classes that I have taken, the teacher has always told us to first do preliminary sketches.

Fumée d’Ambre Gris

The painting, Fumée d’Ambre Gris (The Smoke of Ambergris), drew my attention because it was a cosmopolitan form of description that reached out to the viewer. You have the feeling you are looking  at a piece of Moorish architecture because of the pillars, a woman with asiatic and middle-eastern style attire, and most of all, the embroidery and intricacy on the rugs and pottery makes you feel as though you are in a royal setting. 

According to Henry James in “Picture and Text,” his paintings such as Young Lady in Black have  striking characteristics in which it appears to be simple, yet overflows with perfection. Sargent also had many other diverse influences in his work such as his portrait, Madame X encompassed the style of Edourad Manet and Japanese prints. As James indicates, Sargent takes artistic risk in his paintings because of his curiosity and creativity, which I find brilliant.  After analyzing many of his other paintings I also feel that Sergeant puts a lot of effort into his female portraits and paints them with a sense of surreal intensity.   

Madame X

I also felt some injustice when his best known piece received criticism because of his indifference to pose, modeling, and spacial treatment. Although Sargent was a nonconformist in the arts during his time period, his lack of symmetrical balancing allows the viewer to take in the work as a whole. Indeed, diverting from what is deemed “normal” and “socially-accepting” during his time period was a gutsy move, and furthermore shows his values and creativity. What was most striking to me was when Sargent changed from being a portraitist and muralist to a watercolorist in his later years. His watercolor paintings seem to be more chiseled in strokes, compared to his crisp oil paintings. 

Is John Singer Sargent Italian? French? English? Or is John Singer Sargent American? Whatever the case may be, John Sargent is a one of a kind artist who makes his subjects stand out in his paintings in a noble fashion. His vast cultural experience allow his work to grasp a country’s culture and mindset. Each of his works have very different messages, due to his interesting background, that are heavily dictated by palette of colors he chooses for his subjects.

In John Singer Sargent’s works, Young Lady in Black (also known as the Lady with the Rose) and Lady Playfair, show very similar styles, yet they are very unique. In both works of art, you immediately see that they are portraits of females (probably women of noble class) in very elegant dresses with flowers in hand. In Young Lady in Black, instead of holding a bouquet of colorful flowers, the woman is holding a single white flower that greatly contrasts with her dark dress. This creates a darker atmosphere within the painting and the theme of light versus darkness. It is a seemingly depressing piece of work, but the women’s face seems like the faces of children when they don’t find a magician’s tricks amusing, unimpressed like our president. The dress resembles crow feathers, which further emphasizes the gloomy aura in which the painting radiates.

On the other hand, Lady Playfair uses a darker background and a dress that has a shine imitating gold. The dress seems so realistic, almost as if John Singer Sargent got gold foil and gilded the painting. Maybe the bouquet of flowers that the woman is holding shows off her more “senior” status, and maybe the colors shows her life to be more rounded off and completed. Unlike Young Lady in Black, Lady Playfair‘s face is much more content and more willing to get her portrait done, more of proud of her given situation.

John Singer Sargent must’ve met many different types of subjects while creating his refined portraits, just like Baruch and its diverse student body, you never know who you’ll meet.

In John Singer Sargent’s other artworks, they each have their very own character that are sometimes polar opposite in personalities. Take a look at Doctor Pozzi and the person in the white robe. Unlike the person in the white robe, Doctor Pozzi is portrayed to be a man of great power, which is conveyed through the painting’s blood red theme. Personally, he looks like he would hurt someone if he didn’t get his way (quite ironic since the person is a doctor). The person in the white robe is painted to be very serene and forgiving in nature. Maybe as humans we should be more open to seeing life in different perspectives. The white theme of the painting is definitely much more forgiving on the eyes and, as a result, allows the audience to focus on the religious ritual the person is performing on the vibrant flooring the person is standing on. John Singer Sargent emphasizes on certain colors in his paintings to give them very distinguishable personalities.

Sounds live in John Singer Sargent’s El Jaleo and The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit. The lighting effect on El Jaleo makes the artwork lively and puts spectators of the painting in the audience.  In addition, the  shadows are just as lively as the people dancing, performing the music, and clapping to the powerful vibe of Spanish music; there is so much energy bouncing off the painting.

On a much calmer note, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit has a dainty classical piece that compliments the art. The calm demeanor of the girls with the grand room constructs a small ensemble playing the most relaxing and playful classical music known to man. The lighting of the room is very natural, which can only bring back memories of the non-stressful days as a kid. John Singer Sargent can dictate a piece’s melody through different perspectives of lighting.

John Singer Sargent has most definitely lived a life that many people will probably never experience. His diverse cultural background enabled him to create very powerful and calming pieces of art through the emphasis of his color choice, expressions, and lighting. It reminds me of the different experiences I encountered of when I traveled, each place made me grow in different aspects as a human. He understands the culture of what he is painting and then makes his painting scream the times.