Twentieth century portraits John Singer Sargent

sargent emphasized almina wertheimer s exotic beauty in 1908 dressing en turquerie.

by 1900, sargent @ height of fame. cartoonist max beerbohm completed 1 of seventeen caricatures of sargent, making well-known public artist s paunchy physique. although in forties, sargent began travel more , devote relatively less time portrait painting. interior in venice (1900), portrait of 4 members of curtis family in elegant palatial home, palazzo barbaro, resounding success. but, whistler did not approve of looseness of sargent s brushwork, summed smudge everywhere. 1 of sargent s last major portraits in bravura style of lord ribblesdale, in 1902, finely attired in elegant hunting uniform. between 1900 , 1907, sargent continued high productivity, included, in addition dozens of oil portraits, hundreds of portrait drawings @ $400 each.

in 1907, @ age of fifty-one, sargent officially closed studio. relieved, stated, painting portrait quite amusing if 1 not forced talk while working…what nuisance having entertain sitter , happy when 1 feels wretched. in same year, sargent painted modest , serious self-portrait, last, celebrated self-portrait collection of uffizi gallery in florence, italy.

as sargent wearied of portraiture pursued architectural , landscapes subjects . during visit rome in 1906 sargent made oil painting , several pencil sketches of exterior staircase , balustrade in front of church of saints dominic , sixtus, church of pontifical university of saint thomas aquinas, angelicum. double staircase built in 1654 design of architect , sculptor orazio torriani (fl.1602–1657). in 1907 wrote: did in rome study of magnificent curved staircase , balustrade, leading grand facade reduce millionaire worm.... painting hangs @ ashmolean museum @ oxford university , pencil sketches in collection of harvard university art collection of fogg museum. sargent later used architectural features of stair , balustrade in portrait of charles william eliot, president of harvard university 1869 1909.

sargent s fame still considerable , museums eagerly bought works. year declined knighthood , decided instead keep american citizenship. 1907 on, sargent largely forsook portrait painting , focused on landscapes in later years. made numerous visits united states in last decade of life, including stay of 2 full years 1915 1917.

by time sargent finished portrait of john d. rockefeller in 1917, critics began consign him masters of past, brilliant ambassador between patrons , posterity. modernists treated him more harshly, considering him out of touch reality of american life , emerging artistic trends including cubism , futurism. sargent quietly accepted criticism, refused alter negative opinions of modern art. retorted, ingres, raphael , el greco, these admirations, these like. in 1925, before died, sargent painted last oil portrait, canvas of grace curzon, marchioness curzon of kedleston. painting purchased in 1936 currier museum of art, on display.