Beyond Ballet: El Jaleo

Beyond Ballet
John Singer-Sargent, El Jaleo, 1882
Beyond Ballet
By ELLIE SCHNEIDER

When you hear the words dance and painting in the same sentence, it is easy to think of possibly the most famous painting of dancers, The Ballet Class by Edgar Degas. The thing I dislike about this painting is the stiffness of the dancers. When I think of dancing, I think of movement, music, and drama. The Ballet Class lacks movement. The girls stand around listening to their teacher, but the structure of the class sucks the creativity and freedom of movement out of the girls. When I hear dance and painting I immediately am taken to Spain, where John Singer-Sargent was inspired by women performing the jaleo de jerez dance while men play on guitars in the background. I first saw this painting last year when the Modern Art History class read Strapless by Deborah Davis. This painting was felt so modern compared to Sargent’s French works, and I was taken aback by the drama and movement he captured in the painting. This painting quickly became a favorite of mine and inspired my final project for this year.

I wanted to write about dance, because I think it is amazing how artists can capture a singular moment in time. More so the best works which exhibit movement and drama while encouraging viewers to move too. El Jaleo is the best example of this type of art, which is why I wanted it to be the first piece in my collection, symbolizing everything I love about art and dance.

In terms of movement, Sargent captures woman in El Jaleo in an unnatural position, in mid motion, switching from one dance move to the next, telling a story with her body. The various positions of the females in the bottom right and the band members add variation to the painting. The main dancer’s black top contrasts with her bright white skirt, just as the band’s black suits pop on the light-colored walls. The clashing of black and white adds to the drama of the work. Additionally, Sargent paints a spotlight being shown on the flamenco dancer, transforming the Spanish pub into a stage. The intense shadows only add movement to this dramatic and captivating painting.

Sargent’s ability to take viewers into a different time period and culture, while still feeling familiar, as dance is an activity known to all, proves that El Jaleo is a timeless piece of art that captures everything people love about art and dance.
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Crossing Boundaries: Madame X

Crossing Boundaries
Image result for madame x singer sargent
John Singer Sargent, Madame X, 1884
Crossing Boundaries
By Emma Shapiro

Amelie Gautreau, the subject of Sargent's Madame X, was a well-established Parisian socialite, best known for her beauty. Although Amelie was born in the United States in New Orleans, she moved to Paris at a young age with her mother and grew up in a life of French nobility. She later enhanced her popularity by marrying a wealthy banker twice her age. Due to this high social standing she had many painters paint portraits of her. John Singer Sargent aimed to become one of those lucky painters.

Sargent vied to paint Madame Gautreau because he believed that doing so would elevate his status as a painter. One of Amelie Gautreau's most defining characteristics was her soft white skin, and Sargent wanted to emulate that skin on canvas. When Sargent had the chance to paint Amelie Gautreau he tried to show her skin, grace, and beauty, but also emphasize her daring attitude and individuality. By portraying her personality though portraiture Sargent thought he would receive praise for his skill and also his uniqueness. To do this, Sargent painted the right strap of Gautreau's gown slipping down her shoulder. But, Sargent's attempt at being innovative failed him.

The painting was first displayed at the 1884 Salon. Sargent had won an award at the salon the previous year which forced the Academie to give him a spot on the wall in 1884. Yet, his painting at the 1884 salon received much more ridicule than praise. People were offended by Sargent's portrayal of one of Paris' elites as coquettish. 19th century society could not believe that Sargent would paint something which condoned adultery. Madame Gautreau's mother requested that Sargent remove the painting from the salon and change the name of the portrait from Portrait of Madame Gautreau to Portrait of Madame X. She wanted the identity of her daughter hidden, because this painting crossed the line.



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Mrs. Waldorf Astor

Elinor Wylie
John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Waldorf Astor, 1909

"Let No Charitable Hope"
By ELINOR WYLIE 

Now let no charitable hope 
Confuse my mind with images 
Of eagle and of antelope: 
I am in nature none of these. 

I was, being human, born alone;
I am, being woman, hard beset;
I live by squeezing from a stone
The little nourishment I get.

In masks outrageous and austere
The years go by in single file;
But none has merited my fear,
And none has quite escaped my smile.

Editor's Note: Students were asked to pair a poem and a painting with no explanation as to the connection between the two. 
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Henry G. Marquand

Ethan Doskey
John Singer Sargent, Henry G. Marquand, 1897

"Invictus"
By WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY

Out of the night that covers me,
     Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
     For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
     I have not wined nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
     My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
     Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
     Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
     How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
     I am the captain of my soul.



Editor's Note: Students were asked to pair a poem and painting with no explanation of the connection. 


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Two Women Asleep In A Punt Under The Willows

John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent, Two Women Asleep in a Punt Under the Willows, 1887
By LILI TUCKER

In nearly a week I'll be 18 years old. 

As I approach this impending ending to my "childhood" I have been looking back on many of the things that made me the person I am today.

From Kindergarten to about the third grade, American Girl Dolls were all the rage. When I was nearly 7 they began producing movies for them. The two women sleeping on the boat remind me of a scene in Samantha: an American Girl Holiday where Samantha and Nellie O'Malley stow away in a boathouse filled with Samantha's late mother's things. I remember wanting so badly to sleep over in a boat filled with blankets and pillows like Samantha. 

My Aunt Diane had a willow tree in her backyard. I remember asking my mom if we could get a willow tree as well but she told me that, planted too close to the house, their roots could mess up the plumbing or foundation. Later on, in middle school, we took a trip to Europe. Outside of our hotel was a giant willow tree, it's leaves hanging like a curtain all around it. One could pull aside the leaves, crawl underneath and be completely hidden from everything. Since then, I had forgotten my obsession with willow trees until seeing this painting. I had forgotten that my sister and I created a club called the "Willow Tree Club" complete with it's own song that we wrote on the piano. 

This painting, along with a few of Sargent's other paintings of similar subject matter remind me of two particular literary figures that mean quite a bit to me: Anne of Green Gables and Ophelia. 

In the first book of the series, Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley reenacts the poem the Lady of Shallot with her friends. However, not accounting for Anne's weight, the boat begins to fill with water and she is gloriously saved by her arch nemesis Gilbert Blythe. After watching the movie over and over and over, I fell in love with the iambic tetrameter of Tennyson's the Lady of Shallot. I remember trying to memorize it, though I cannot remember if I ever succeeded in the task. I've since forgotten most of it now, save for the phrase: The yellow leaved waterlily/ the green sheathed daffodilly/ tremble in the water chilly/ 'round about Shallott. It has always been my favorite. 

Fun Fact: Lucy Maud Montgomery's seventh novel (4th in the series) is titled Anne of Windy Willows outside of the UK and US

Finally, for Ophelia. 

I began doing theatre because I really liked to sing. It was freshmen year that I decided I didn't want to sing, so I thought I'd try the play. However, the play ended up being the Imaginary Invalid and I had to sing anyway. Anyhow, after the end of that show I swore I wouldn't do theatre again. It wasn't til I was accidentally cast as Ophelia in the Pretenders' play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead that perhaps theatre was worth pursuing. Four years later and I can't imagine my life without doing theatre. I can't imagine not spending every waking moment in rehearsal or memorizing lines or painting sets. 

This was all a longwinded way of saying that Sargent's painting Two Women Asleep in a Punt Under the Willows (along with many of his other works) creates an atmosphere of nostalgic repose. A moment of reflection before your life changes forever. 

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Gassed

Gassed
John Singer Sargent, Gassed, 1919
By SARAH XU

One of Sargent’s larger paintings, Gassed measures 231 cm by 611 cm (7 feet 6.9 inches by 20 feet 0.6 inches). The size of the painting makes the group of soldiers almost life-size. I believe the size of the painting just makes the shocking effects of war more of a reality. In 1918, the British War Memorials Committee commissioned Sargent to create an image of the war with a “Anglo-American co-operation” theme. In order to paint an accurate representation of the war, Sargent traveled to the Guards Division near Arras and then observed the American Expeditionary Forces near Ypres. Sargent, a man who had “spent most of his life in a world built on proper routines and schedules,” was not accustomed to the unpredictable, violent environment (Davis 239). But, stepping out of his comfort zone paid off. Sargent personally experienced the exact scene depicted in Gassed, which led him to recreate the powerful moment, even though it didn’t fit under the desired theme. After its completion, Gassed was voted picture of the year by the Royal Academy of Arts in 1919. Similar to Madame X, the painting received disapproval. E.M. Forster, a novelist, attacked the painting because he believed it was “too heroic” while Virginia Woolf condemned the painting for being “too patriotic”.  It seems that Sargent can never escape the criticism.

The painting focuses on a group of wounded soldiers blindly trudging towards help after a mustard gas attack. Behind them, there is a similar group of wounded soldiers marching in a similar formation. Also in the background, Sargent painted a group of men playing football, despite the warfare around them. They represent a large portion of society, going on with their daily lives and are oblivious to the death and pain around them. The dull, lifeless colors suffocates the painting, allowing the viewer to almost smell the stale air. Although the blind men have suffered severe consequences of the war, they are considered fortunate compared to the piles of bodies on the bottom of the painting. This painting not only displayed the grim effects of war, but it also proved that Sargent had the ability to paint both sides of society, the upper class, but also the common soldier, and both in “powerful, revelatory detail” (240).
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Fumée d'Ambre Gris

Fumme d'Ambre Gris
John Singer Sargent, Fumée d'Ambre Gris, 1880
By TROY WORKMAN

The year before this painting's completion, John Singer Sargent took a trip to Tangier in North Africa. Orientalism in Europe at the time was a popular subject among artists and decorators alike. This was one of two paintings Sargent submitted to the Paris Salon of 1880. Sargent's depiction of Orientalism, shows a woman covered in an elaborate gown, bathing in the smoke of smoldering ambergris, a waxy substance that whales produce which is used in many perfumes. In Northern Africa where this woman lived, ambergris would be considered an aphrodisiac and a repellent to evil spirits. Her society would've forced her to be an extremely private woman, but since she models for Sargent, her social status moves to the outer ranks where this would be more acceptable. Sargent merges influences from many parts of the East, so it can be inferred that this particular image was created mostly in his mind.

The color attracted the most praise in this painting for obvious reasons. Sargent looks beyond the boundaries of just "white", and into individual shades that mesh and contrast perfectly with the subject matter. From the cold white walls of the room, to the white airy fabric draped around her body, each object receives a different level of attention to the individual hues of white. To me, this is the epitome of Sargent's work, and demonstrates his complete mastery of not only framing the subject matter, but paying extreme attention to the shades and hues in every object.

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Girl Fishing

Girl Fishing
John Singer Sargent, Girl Fishing, 1913
By SAI GONDI

Upon first seeing the painting, my eyes fixed upon this unknown women clothed in an egg white dress gently submerging her net under the shallow waves. Then, slowly my eyes began to retract from the focus of the painting to the surroundings. I began to notice the finer things about the works. The water is beautifully done, though I do not feel overwhelmed with movement. The painting is essentially frozen at this exact moment. .It strongly incorporates Impressionism styles, as can be expected from Sargent. Girl Fishing was completed in 1913, towards the later end of his life. In her book Strapless, Deborah Davis brings forth the interest Sargent had for nature and the countryside. Though he was known for his portraiture, landscape paintings made up a noticeable portion of his works. Girl Fishing consists of an isolated portion of San Vigilio, a gorgeous location in Italy, done with an array of blues, yellows, browns, and whites for the woman and foreground.

Also, an interesting issue I found researching this painting was my inability to identify the subject matter. Referenced in Strapless, Sargent's subjects in his works are typically known. After scrolling through numerous sites and informational articles, the woman still remained unknown. Could her white clothes represent purity? That would make sense, however why would she be partaking in such a laborious, messy activity? That makes me wonder if he could be raising questions about femininity. Woman during the time of this work held restricted lives. So, the woman in this painting fishing, which could be seen as a male-oriented pasttime, could be hinting towards a greater message of gender normalities. That would provide explanation to the unknown woman. This figure could represent women as a whole.


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Two Girls with Parasols

Isabel Thomas
John Singer Sargent, Two Girls with Parasols, 1888
By ISABEL THOMAS

In Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X, Deborah Davis describes Sargent’s tendency to view the women in his paintings—like Madame Gautreau of Madame X—not as people, but as subjects to be painted. The artist depicts Gautreau as a porcelain doll on display in the famous painting, but she at least has a face, unlike the women in Two Girls with Parasols. Sargent strips them of their names, faces, and identities and leaves them as scenery—details of the landscape. Even though they have to endure the constraint and objectification of womanhood in this society, Sargent gives them the title of girls, not women.

Like Madame X, Two Girls with Parasols possesses a gilded beauty. Beneath the initial reaction to Sargent’s undeniable talent is a sadness in the artist and the subjects of his works. The shallow lifestyle led by the women in Two Girls with Parasols—which brought misery to countless others—was the prototype for the characters of Clarissa Dalloway and Lily Bart in Mrs. Dalloway and House of Mirth, respectively. After reading Mrs. Dalloway and House of Mirth and examining the leisure class around Sargent’s time, I could not help but make a connection to this painting. The clothing of these “lucky” members of the upper class was designed to hold them back. Corsets restricted the body and reduced practical abilities by preventing physical activity. Parasols literally shielded these women from the world around them and existed as an indication that they never went outside—that they were trapped indoors by the demands of high society functions.

The subjects of Two Girls with Parasols are surrounded by nature but live in a completely unnatural social system. This painting differs from Sargent’s characteristic style—like that of Madame X—with colors reminiscent of the Impressionists and brushstrokes as abstract as constructed gender roles. The painting’s scenery flows around the path as these “girls” look to what lies in their future. The faceless women follow this course along with Clarissa Dalloway, Lily Bart, and countless others.

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Bedouins

Anirudh Vadlamani
Bedouins, John Singer Sargent, 1905

BY ANIRUDH VADLAMANI

There is a certain mystical presence in every one of Sargent's works, even when just viewing a duplication from a computer screen. Perhaps that is why this painting speaks to me. It is as if I was taken and dropped into a "Prince of Persia" game, or transported back in time to the rural settlement in the Arabian desert with masked people, who despite living in the harshest conditions, find comfort in their lives. These people are known as the Bedouin.

The Bedouin are an arabic group which span across much of Northern Africa and the Middle East. Within their vast span, they roam in packs, in arabic known as عَشَائِر, or ashāʾir (for you users of the roman alphabet). Each individual ashāʾir has their own set of values and clothes, wearing different designs to represent their own individual clan. The lighter the hues, the closer they are to Saharan Africa, the darker the colors, the closer they are to the Middle-East. 

John Singer Sargent made over 2,000 water color portraits during his illustrious career. However, no set of paintings spoke more than the set he made during his frequent visits to the Middle-East. During this time, he frequently visited a portion of Bedouin nomads who traversed the Arabian desert. On one of his journeys, he allowed the renowned French-American painter to paint them, as they found suitable conditions for living. The result was the masterpiece above.

This painting is a superb water color portrait. However, upon first viewing, I missed what made the painting so beautiful. The water color runs down the portrait, draping the clothes as well as perfectly fading some portions of the painting. Usually fading isn't a good thing in art, but in this case, the faded patterns on the chests of these men as well as the smudged faded edges along the top of their drapery is impeccable, and perfectly employed. It is portions of the painting like this that employ the deft touch only an artist like John Singer Sargent can employ.



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Madame Errazuriz

John Singer Sargent
Madame Errazuriz, John Singer Sargent, 1882
By LIBBY ROHR

Scrolling through Sargent paintings gives me roughly the same feeling as being thrown back in time to a fancy dinner party or gala, passing by a million faces, some of which I recognize, most I do not. A few give me the vague sensation I've seen them before, and I assume they must be important for being in that lineup but who's to say from only a glance whether one lovely lady was worth more than another.

Madame Errazuriz caught my eye with her bright, dewy complexion, poking out of a sea of black scenery. Her friendly smile and kind eyes seemed to glow in contrast with her dark surroundings and beautiful black dress. The color palate on this piece is stunning, similar to a reinvigorated Rembrandt, the dark and light makes the lady all the more striking. Painters throughout history have been able to accomplish portraiture as well as Sargent, but what sets him apart is his ability to capture not only a handsome representation of the person in question but their personality as well.  Here, sticking out from a sea of black and maroon, Madame Errazuriz has a friendly, welcoming smile and open body language, contrasting sharply against most other high class ladies Sargent painted. Warm and accessible, Sargent portrays Madame Errazuriz as an inviting and confident individual, which by all accounts, matches the real personality of Eugenia Errazuriz.

She is undoubtedly beautiful, but it’s simple beauty. When compared to some of the other women Sargent painted, she seems almost plain. Also unlike the others, she rose to influence of her own accord rather than as the wife of a prominent man and was actually famous for her simplicity. In her lifetime, she ran with the Parisian socialites and artists alike and is thought to be the mother of modern minimalistic interior design. She took pride in this lack of flair, and for her, it signified far more beauty than the crowded flash of those around her. Rather than regaling her with jewels or fancy beaded straps, or an extravagant gown and background, Sargent puts her against a plain backdrop, with a simple maroon couch, in an elegant, yet understated black dress, making her pop all the more. In using her own style, he made what appears to be a simple portrait of a graceful lady into a true representation of her own beauty and character. That's why we're so drawn to Sargent's portraiture, and that's why I could walk in his fancy dinner party of faces for hours and never get bored. Sargent didn't just paint faces - he painted souls.
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Mrs. Henry Marquand

John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Henry Marquand, 1887
BY ROSIE PASQUALINI

If she weren't extremely dead, I would be friends with Mrs. Henry Marquand. She looks kind without seeming naive, dignified but unpretentious, and elderly yet healthy. Also, she and I have matching hair. In this portrait Mr. Sargent presents, without excess coyness, several pairs of characteristics that we often assume to be mutually exclusive, especially within the context of high society. For all her regal flair, Mrs. Marquand exudes an undeniable warmth. The goal of portraiture, perhaps, is to bring out certain half-hidden attributes from a subject without negating what is apparent at first glance, and Sargent accomplishes this perfectly.

Mrs. Marquand is the center of gravity and light. She is a beacon of clarity and order compared to the glowy haze above her and the shadows hugging her chair. The first time I saw this piece I thought there was a bird on her chest, with its wings gliding up her shoulders. The lace carries this same delicate allure. She holds a fan in her right hand. I find this inane detail a bit disturbing, because the fan matches the walls far too well, which forces us to acknowledge that portraiture is a contrived theatre of light, similar in many way to today's Photoshop. Yet the facade has been put to good use here. Equally off-putting is the prominence of Mrs. Marquand's wedding ring in conjunction with the painting's title-- essentially her husband's name. Loss of self, it seems, was a prerogative of marriage. Henry Gurdon Marquand was a prominent businessman whom Sargent wanted to impress. Mr. Marquand helped found the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the intent of "humanizing" the "practical" lower classes, and had an impressive private collection-- he donated fifty Old Master paintings to the MoMA and had several left over. Daaaaamn, Daniel! I have found little about Mrs. Marquand herself in Deborah Davis's Strapless, but we do learn, as the painting suggests, that Sargent liked her personally. Her first name was Elizabeth.

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