Critical assessment John Singer Sargent

arsène vigeant, 1885, musées de metz

in time when art world focused, in turn, on impressionism, fauvism, , cubism, sargent practiced own form of realism, made brilliant references velázquez, van dyck, , gainsborough. seemingly effortless facility paraphrasing masters in contemporary fashion led stream of commissioned portraits of remarkable virtuosity (arsène vigeant, 1885, musées de metz; mr. , mrs. isaac newton phelps-stokes, 1897, metropolitan museum of art, new york) , earned sargent moniker, van dyck of our times.

still, during life work engendered negative responses of colleagues: camille pissarro wrote not enthusiast rather adroit performer, , walter sickert published satirical turn under heading sargentolatry. time of death dismissed anachronism, relic of gilded age , out of step artistic sentiments of post-world war europe. elizabeth prettejohn suggests decline of sargent s reputation due partly rise of anti-semitism, , resultant intolerance of celebrations of jewish prosperity. has been suggested exotic qualities inherent in work appealed sympathies of jewish clients whom painted 1890s on.

nowhere more apparent in portrait almina, daughter of asher wertheimer (1908), in subject seen wearing persian costume, pearl encrusted turban, , strumming indian tambura, accoutrements meant convey sensuality , mystery. if sargent used portrait explore issues of sexuality , identity, seems have met satisfaction of subject s father, asher wertheimer, wealthy jewish art dealer.

claude monet painting edge of wood, 1885, tate, london

foremost of sargent s detractors influential english art critic roger fry, of bloomsbury group, @ 1926 sargent retrospective in london dismissed sargent s work lacking aesthetic quality: wonderful indeed, wonderful wonderful performance should ever have been confused of artist. and, in 1930s, lewis mumford led chorus of severest critics: sargent remained end illustrator ... adroit appearance of workmanship, dashing eye effect, cannot conceal essential emptiness of sargent s mind, or contemptuous , cynical superficiality of part of execution.

part of sargent s devaluation attributed expatriate life, made him seem less american @ time when authentic socially conscious american art, exemplified stieglitz circle , ashcan school, on ascent.

after such long period of critical disfavor, sargent s reputation has increased steadily since 1950s. in 1960s, revival of victorian art , new scholarship directed @ sargent strengthened reputation. sargent has been subject of large-scale exhibitions in major museums, including retrospective exhibition @ whitney museum of american art in 1986, , 1999 blockbuster traveling show exhibited @ museum of fine arts, boston, national gallery of art washington, , national gallery, london.

in 1986, andy warhol commented sargent scholar trevor fairbrother sargent made glamorous. taller. thinner. have mood, every 1 of them has different mood.

in time magazine article 1980s, critic robert hughes praised sargent unrivaled recorder of male power , female beauty in day that, ours, paid excessive court both.