Early life John Singer Sargent

fanny watts, sargent s childhood friend. first painting @ paris salon, 1877, philadelphia museum of art

although father patient teacher of basic subjects, young sargent rambunctious child, more interested in outdoor activities studies. father wrote home, quite close observer of animated nature. mother convinced traveling around europe, , visiting museums , churches, give young sargent satisfactory education. several attempts have him formally schooled failed, owing itinerant life. sargent s mother fine amateur artist , father skilled medical illustrator. on, gave him sketchbooks , encouraged drawing excursions. young sargent worked care on drawings, , enthusiastically copied images illustrated london news of ships , made detailed sketches of landscapes. fitzwilliam had hoped son s interest in ships , sea might lead him toward naval career.

at thirteen, mother reported john sketches quite nicely, & has remarkably quick , correct eye. if afford give him lessons, quite little artist. @ age of thirteen, received watercolor lessons carl welsch, german landscape painter. although education far complete, sargent grew highly literate , cosmopolitan young man, accomplished in art, music, , literature. fluent in french, italian, , german. @ seventeen, sargent described willful, curious, determined , strong (after mother) yet shy, generous, , modest (after father). well-acquainted many of great masters first hand observation, wrote in 1874, have learned in venice admire tintoretto immensely , consider him perhaps second michelangelo , titian.