El Jaleo, Sargent
7:00 AM |
| El Jaleo, John Singer Sargent, 1882 |
There are only a handful of words able to describe the feeling of watching a well-trained dancer, nimble, graceful even cunning, and Sargent finds a way to extract life from paint- an ability to create a moment. Born into an era where art was “great” made finding a particular facet of the discipline very difficult and somewhat daunting. Should one take the naturalist approach of those in the Rococo? Or stray towards the realism of Courbet.
Sargent like many artists before had established a close partnership and rivalry with his dearest friend Belleroche. His emotionally-charged relationship guided the work he created, ensuring that no piece would be left unable to stand on its own. The sensuality and intensity of their relationship transcended into arguably one of Sargent's best works El Jaleo. Nowhere is it more evident than in this piece the strength of his approach to realism, the eleven-foot wide canvas clearly represents the grandeur and scale of his sentiments.Inspired by his trip to Spain in 1879 and in the throes of his romantic crush, he paints a Spanish dancer being swept away by the rhythm of the music, her form effortlessly gliding about the space. Sargent's love for Gypsy music and elaborate garb could not have meshed in a more perfect manner. The illuminated form tumbles through the painting, her disheveled appearance only adding to the intensity of her movement.
Entered into the Salon in 1882 Sargent demonstrated a new level of involvement with his figures, a parallel from his brush stroke to his inner emotions. Sadly being an American he never received the recognition he deserved from the Parisian upper class. Far worse than his lack of social acceptance was his dear friend Belleroche becoming a cocaine addict and shortly thereafter dying.
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