Category: Reading Responses (Page 9 of 11)

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.

There are a plethora of forms of visual art, and within each form there are categories and subcategories that are specialized by the styles and impressions of various artists. For example, John Singer Sargent greatly influenced the art of impressionism through his distinct and powerful technique. According to the essay “John Singer Sargent”, written by H. Barbara Weinberg, Sargent was born to American parents, however, was raised in Europe for the entirety of his childhood. Through the diversity of his specific schooling, Singer discovered an interest in art, and his parents chose to support him in his endeavors to pursue his passion.

Sargent first enrolled in formal art training in Florence, however, was then sent to Paris by his ambitious father. There he studied under the tutelage of Carolus-Duran.

The most information that can be discovered about Sargent as an artist, however, can only be seen through his medium of artwork and artistic style. This is discussed in the essay “Picture and Text”, by Henry James, where various pieces painted by Sargent are analyzed, and  how each of them help expose more about him as an artist is described.

Whilst reading through James’ analysis of Sargent’s portraits and paintings, the concept of impressionism and the description of how Sargent contributed to impressionism struck me. What made Sargent so influential was that his artwork was very specific to himself. Rather than mirroring structure that was taught to him, the way that he painted was distinctly his personality. James wrote that “it is difficult to imagine a young painter less in the dark about his own ideal…” (2). To me, the thought that through expression of one’s true self there is tremendous outcome and, ultimately, success, as seen through the Sargent’s artwork left me with a surprising feeling of inspiration.

Also in James’ essay, the depiction of the process that Sargent uses to express himself through impressionism, to me, added a dimension to the creative process as a whole. James’ wrote that as an artist, the most impressive results come from  when an artist looks “deep into his subject, undergoes it, absorbs it, discovers in it new things that were not on the surface” (11). Therefore, the goal is not to recreate the most realistic portrait, but to inhale the subject with every sense of the body, allow it to evolve within the limits of perception, and portray the resulting visual and emotion through a medium. This idea left me in a deeply pensive state as I wondered how my perception of a subject can evolve within my thoughts to develop dimensions of reality, emotion and personality.

My favorite painting out of those that I experienced in James’ essay was “Incensing the Veil”, an oil painting that depicts a woman in a white robe and veil, with incense at her feet. The setting is mostly white, disregarding the colors of the carpet that the woman is standing on. There is a silent beauty that emanates from the scene. In fact, in his essay, James uses this piece as an example of direct contrast to Sargent’s El Jaleo, a painting depicting a danger surrounded by musicians, that “sins… in the direction of ugliness” (6). The the muted color scheme of the painting embodies a sensation of modesty and pure beauty.

John Singer Sargent to this day maintains a reputation as an artist that influenced art culture through his individual style. The future of his work is greatly anticipated.

John Singer Sargent had a very unorthodox, yet cosmopolitan upbringing; he learned three languages, and was exposed to subjects such as geography, arithmetic and reading. But although his father was his main professor throughout his early education, it was his mother’s proposal for him to draw that led Sargent to become of the world’s most renown artists. From his original training in Paris, to his permanent residence in England, to his intense popularity among the American public, John Singer Sargent immersed himself in a lifestyle that most artists today could only dream of.

Had it not been for his mother’s encouragement, we wouldn’t have been exposed to two of my favorite portraits by Sargent: Madame X and Lady with the Rose. The paintings have many similarities; Both were completed in 1884, the paintings’ main subject is a lady in a black dress, the paintings both host a dull background, and both women are dressed elegantly. But what makes the two paintings stand out are the stark differences in the stories they seem to tell.

At face value, Madame X reminds me of Marilyn Monroe: beautiful, playful, classic. She is facing away from the artist painting her, possibly to reflect an indecisive demeanor. Based on her body language, I would think she has a bubbly personality, someone who would giggle in an uncomfortable situation to lighten the mood. The woman seems to be wearing a very flirtatious dress for 1884, shoulders fully exposed. But oddly enough, it wasn’t what the woman was wearing that sparked controversy among the French public, it was Sargent’s “indifference to conventions of pose, modeling, and treatment of space,” as the article “John Singer Sargent” so eloquently put. She seems to enjoy being painted, standing in a very dramatic pose, contrary to France’s beliefs. The elegance of this woman is unparalleled by the woman in Lady with the Rose. However, the latter gives off a much more interesting personality.

Madame X, 1884

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the woman pictured in Lady with the Rose gives off a no-nonsense glare into her painter’s soul. She reminds me of Whoopi Goldberg: straightforward, opinionated, unrelenting. She seems to have incredible strength and determination and has no time for nonsense. Her arm placed sternly on her hip makes it look like she’s saying “Are you finished yet? I’ve got things to do.” In “Picture and Text,” Henry James highlights the woman’s “arm somewhat extended, offer[ing] to view a single white flower.” The flower seems somewhat forced upon her, pinched between her fingers as if it were some sort of disease. I believe this flower represents her opposing views on the societal norms of how a female should behave in 1884. She seems to have no fear of repercussions in stating an opinion and she doesn’t need a man to keep her satisfied. She resembles a completely different character than the woman in Madame X, and to me, a much more interesting one.

Lady with a Rose, 1884

Even besides these two portraits, after reading about and viewing his other works in “Picture and Text,” I admire Sargent’s ability to capture real and raw emotion within a canvas. His simplicity and candid expression make his work both enjoyable yet though-provoking. The article “John Singer Sargent” assures the reader that he had many, many American fans, and after browsing through his work for the first time, I can assure you that he has gained one more.