If his mother was the source of the social artistic side of him, Sargent's father certainly contributed its opposite. A quiet & reserved man, he instilled in his son a staunch American patriotism, despite a nomadic life, & fostered what many noted to be his Puritan work ethic.

I'm not sure if you know of Karin, but her series of works showing people observing Sargent were a thing of beauty. She even asked me once if she could call one of her exhibitions 'Sargentology'. I was so flattered! She will be greatly missed.

The way Sargent painted was very physical, people said he looked like a fencer. Here he captures the movement of light on the stream & the fabric of Ormond’s dress with thick, loosely handled paint. Rose-Marie Ormond was Sargent's niece & travel companion. bit.ly/3hc9N55

🌞 With its warm sun and ample shade, John Singer Sargent's small and intimate painting suggests a relaxed afternoon of leisure but it might not be as informal as it first appears: bit.ly/3gIjtUy

This is such a simple watercolour, and yet the variance in light and texture is astounding. All at once you get the sense of something clean, dirty, bright, shadowy, aged, and new. The portraits may be the focus, but I think it's the watercolours where he really mastered.

If Sargent ever took a loss on a work, it would have been La Carmencita. Petulant, flighty, & demanding, she requested ever increasing amounts of jewels to sit for her portrait - and even then she never sat still. Sargent eventually spent £3,000+ in 💎💎 just to get it finished.

The sadness in Elizabeth Chanler's eyes was not done for dramatic effect.Though part of the wealthy Astor family, she was orphaned by age 12, left paralysed by a hip infection for much of her teens/20s, during which 2 of her 9 siblings died. Her story, thankfully, did end happily

John Singer Sargent, Study for "History," Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1916 - 1921 harvardartmuseums.org/collections/ob… #johnsingersargent #harvardartmuseums

Isabella S. Gardner had a bit of a sneaky way of acquiring El Jaleo from her relative, T. Jefferson Coolidge. After failing to purchase it from him, she borrowed the painting🖼️ & built the Spanish cloister to hold it. Stunned by its custom setting, he gave it to her on the spot.

H.R.H. the Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn (Princess Louisa Margaret Alexandra Victoria Agnes of Prussia), 1908 #johnsingersargent #sargent

Happy Birthday John Singer Sargent RA, born #onthisday in 1856. Sargent was a leading portraitist of his generation, famed for evoking the luxury and elegance of wealthy Edwardian society. John Singer Sargent RA, 'At Torre Galli: Ladies in a Garden', 1910. #RoyalAcademy

A little more of John Singer Sargent? Ok then, as it is his birthday! #onthisday Portrait of Mrs Barnard and Miss Williams Two Figures in a Boat, Isola Bella, Italy, 1902 Portrait of Miss Katherine Elizabeth Lewis, 1906

I particularly love how the sheen of the frame here bounces off the gilded light under the arches, and vice versa. Excellent archival photography work!

John Singer Sargent, Coiled Serpent, after an Aztec Sculpture in the British Museum, c. 1903-1914 harvardartmuseums.org/collections/ob… #johnsingersargent

A few highlights from “Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano” at americanart curated by Crawford Alexander Mann III 🌟

I was hoping the #MetGala theme of Gilded Age would bring up a few Sargent inspirations (or even Worth, Boldini, anyone!) I was a bit disappointed but loved that at least Billie Eilish had a modern take on his Madame Paul Poirson.

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