My Kid Could Paint That

John Singer Sargent, Portrait of Frances Sherbourne Ridley Watts, 1877

Sargent painted this portrait of Frances Watts, affectionately called Fanny, in 1877. She was a childhood friend, perhaps even a romantic interest; however more so than that, she was his ticket into the art world. At only 21 years old, Sargent and his portrait were accepted into the Salon and thrown into a world of fame and recognition. Judges and critics loved the portrait, calling it “charming” and “promising.”

John Singer Sargent, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882

Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656

John Singer Sargent, Atlas And The Hesperides, 1922

We enter a scene of rest and serenity, complimented by the blue floor the nymphs lie on. That is of course before we see the sun, the rays bursting from behind this man’s sculpted form. A perfect match of colors, blue and orange, separated by the horizon. Atlas kneels with all his strength and immortality, bearing the weight of his suffering. For what he holds is a punishment. The way he holds the universe above him, preventing the sky from crushing the home we populate, shows a man trapped from either side. Confined by the sky that rests upon his back, as well as the soil that holds his weight, pushes back against him. If this wasn’t enough, the columns border him on either side, placing Atlas within a square. He was given this task for his siding with the Titans in Greek mythology.

This painting was one of Sargent’s later works, completed in between 1922 to 1925. John Singer Sargent died at age 69 in April of 1925. Age has no bearing on the beauty one can capture on canvas. What Sargent does so well with this painting is the colors, the proportions, and the composition with its geometrical aspects. First off, the colors Sargent captures, with the shadows, is modern and creates depth. He has taken a classical myth and painted the scene in an Art Deco style. He captures the cleanliness of straight lines and order. Next, Sargent captures the human form. The bottom half consists of nymphs laced with a sense of sexuality in their positioning while they slumber away. Finally, Sargent creates a well-balanced work through shape. The painting possesses strong linear lines that divide the painting in half; other lines push in towards Atlas, further emphasizing his prison. Beyond the lines, Sargent uses circles to stress the weight Atlas supports. The heaviness of it all, each side pushing in, contorts Atlas' body into a sphere. The Celestial sphere invades the canvas, which is also a circle, creating the sense of importance in Atlas’ job.

What makes this piece so great is how Sargent displays his understanding of his profession, as well as his skill. He accurately paints the pain and beauty of Atlas’ story. This is the work of a master.

Art for the Private Viewer
The Broad Usage of Sexual Figures in Art
Curated by Sree Balusu

Man with Red Drapery, John Singer Sargent, After 1900

"Once I pass'd through a populous city imprinting my brain for future use with its shows, architecture, customs, tradition,
Yet now of all that city I remember only a man I casually met there who detained me for love of me,
Day by day and night by night we were together - all else has long been forgotten by me,
I remember I saw only that man who passionately clung to me,
Again we wander, we love, we separate again,
Again he holds me by the hand, I must not go,
I see him close beside me with silent lips sad and tremulous."
-- Once I pass'd through a populous city, Walt Whitman

Many who argue that John Singer Sargent was gay, point to a series of paintings (which includes this painting) depicting men in sexual poses as clear evidence.

The naked man has only his dark red drape covering him as he poses erotically. The man expresses longing (possibly for a lover), as his arm is thrown upward while his head is tilted far back. The subject may remind viewers of a stage actor. Looking closely at the man's posture, we can see how it is poetic and even theatrical in its depiction of the sadness in being separated from a lover.

Sargent did say "Cultivate an ever-continuous power of observation. Wherever you are, be always ready to make slight notes of postures, groups and incidents. Store up in the mind... a continuous stream of observations from which to make selections later. Above all things get abroad, see the sunlight and everything that is to be seen." He thoroughly follows this idea in Man with Red Drapery, as he creates a very specific figure that shows unhappiness.

This painting is an excellent example of the way that sexual figures in art can be used to create an aura of grief and nostalgia.

John Singer Sargent, The Misses Vickers, 1884

John Singer Sargent focuses once more on the fantasy of the femme fatale in his 1884 painting The Misses Vickers commemorating the eldest sister’s 21^st birthday. In this pseudo-Velazquez work, Sargent brings the dark palette, depth, and eeriness used in The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit to the canvas.

Even though the dark background screens out the detail of the room the three sisters are posing in, the viewer can tell by the hint of light in the upper right corner that the room extends quite far back. Yet Sargent does nothing with this space he has created, randomly placing a few reflective objects here and there. But such is the mystery of a Sargent painting—three sisters, huddled together in a pitch-black room with eyes of innocence and lips concealing sin. The eyes immediately converge on Evelyn, the sister to the far left.

The only young lady dressed in a light, pastel dress, seems to illuminate against the stark background. The middle sister looks villainous in black with a hint of pink emerging from her bosom. And finally, Mildred, the sister to the far right, has a beige tint to her skin and wears a brown dress to match the cushion of the chair she awkwardly sits in. This cacophony of colors, fabrics, and positions certainly makes the foreground appear disjointed, but also succeeds in highlighting the individuality of each sister. Yes, they are painted as a group, but this is as much a solo portraiture as it is a trio snapshot.

We cannot know everything about this painting—which secrets have not been told, what lies behind the spot-lit women—but we do know that Sargent’s technique is one to be admired and not one to be imitated, for he truly demonstrates his mastery of conveying mystery and seduction in The Misses Vickers. 

John Singer Sargent, Portrait of Carolus-Duran, 1879

By age 13, John Singer Sargent spent much time studying paintings in museums. Everywhere he went, he took his notebook to sketch and paint what he saw. Mrs. Sargent (John's mother) had friends who encouraged her to arrange professional training for her son. It was a result of this early interest that Sargent met Carolus-Duran.

Sargent first met Carolus-Duran in 1874, when his parents enrolled him in École des Beaux-Arts, an art school in Paris. Carolus-Duran, after assessing Sargent's portfolio, decided to let him study art as his pupil. According to Carolus-Duran, Sargent was to unlearn certain methods he had acquired, but expressed optimism at the young boy's natural talent.

He quickly became one of Carolus-Duran's best students and gained the respect of his peers through his sheer innate ability. The school emphasized the importance of drawing as the foundation of visual art, while Carolus-Duran had his own ideas. He focused on manipulating the paint sensuously. Carolus-Duran held that artists should paint in a fluid way.

Originally, Sargent was interested mainly in landscapes (which explains his numerous sketches of mountains and seas). However, after studying under Carolus-Duran, he developed an interest in creating art out of the people he met. It was with Carolus-Duran's guidance that Sargent started his career in portraiture and gave him an interest in the subject.

John Singer Sargent, Dr. Pozzi at Home, 1881

“But everybody wants some,