Friday, October 9, 2015

Sargent Paintings at The Met III


Dear Art Lover,
     I will round out this series on the John Singer Sargent exhibition that recently closed at The Met in New York.  This first is a detail shot of The Fountain, Villa Torlonia, Frascati, Italy 1907.  It is an oil painting… brilliant.


     This next one is a watercolor painting with graphite, simply titled, Young Woman with a Black Skirt, created in the 1880s.  I like some of Sargent’s watercolors and I enjoy the paintings he has done of working women. 



     In fact, while I was in Croatia this past winter, I made a copy of a Sargent of a girl carrying onions.  My work is a pastel.  She is available, so please contact me if you may be interested.


After JS Sargent
Paper Size = 36 x 25 cm [Drawing is smaller]
pastels on paper
AVAILABLE:
$150 + $15 worldwide shipping

Thank you for reading and making it all possible.
Peace,
Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Sargent Paintings at The Met II



Oil Painting Portrait Woman Singing John Singer Sargent
Mabel Batten by Sargent
Dear Art Lover,
     John Singer Sargent surely inspired the way that female figures were drawn on the fronts of sewing patterns… elongated figures, delicately slender feet and waists, for example.  Do you see it?

     This first painting is one Sargent created of a Mabel Batten, a popular amateur mezzo-soprano in her own time (1857-1916).  She played the piano and the guitar, composed her own songs, and was an arts and music patron.  Sargent captured her swept up in the emotion of singing her own song.  He cropped his painting to emphasize her posture, according to the sign next to the painting.

     This next portrait from 1892 really impressed me as well.  In London, Sargent painted Mary Frances Hammersley (1863-1911).  He really captured her personality in this painting and it led to his election into the Royal Academy.  As the exhibition sign read, “One critic enthused, ‘The head literally vibrates with life; never has the spirit of conversation been more actually and vividly embodied.’” 

The Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait painting HammersleyThe Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait painting Hammersley


     Again, look closely at the genius of this portrait, from the great diagonal of the colorful fabric coming up from the bottom left and leading the eye to the sitter’s face in the upper center of the canvas to the paint handling of lace and decoration on fabric to the plays of subtle purples cooling the vibrant fuchsia color.

The Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait painting Hammersley
Slender feet and beautifully handled paint in this Sargent


The Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait painting Dr. Pangloss     Now this detail of the Sargent portrait of American actor Joseph Jefferson as Dr. Pangloss (1890) is just plain fun.  The energy and intensity of the gaze, and that HAIR!  Is this the origin of a scary Bozo the Clown?  I love the lavender swash stroke over the top of the bald head.  It does help the face launch towards us, does it not?



     Many of the signs in this art exhibition explained that John Singer Sargent bartered or outright gifted paintings to friends.  Like most artists, Sargent was friends with many other artists.  His friend, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens created a portrait in relief of Sargent’s sister Violet while playing a guitar. In return Sargent painted this wonderful portrait of the sculptor’s son Homer and wife Augusta.  I think he perfectly captured the expression of a boy distracted while being read to.  

     I also love how the artist emphasizes the fidgety-ness of the boy by placing a dull red outline around the twisted foot.  The strong color [as well as the highlights on the shiny black shoes] pulls your eye down.  And yet the red is muted enough that is never takes away from the boy’s face [the area of highest contrast].  Along with the slouching shoulders, one can easily feel the informality of the pose.  

The Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait of a boy painting
"Portrait of a Boy" by Sargent

The Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait of a boy painting
     In the last image of this painting Portrait of a Boy the book on the mamma’s lap seems quite bright, but when you look again at the image of the entire painting, I hope you can see that the book is not actually nearly as bright as the subject:  the boy’s face.  I also enjoy how the cool tones in the book contrast with warmer hands.  Still, this area has an overall lower contrast and chroma as the main subject area.  All parts of the composition help to emphasize the boy and his interest in …. You!

     These Sargent artworks were on exhibition at The Met in New York City, but it is over now.  Or perhaps it has moved on to another city.

Peace,

Kelly

P.S.  Happy birthday to nieces Elyse and Erin.

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

The Met:  John Singer Sargent portrait of a boy painting


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Sargent Paintings at The Met



Madame X hand painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition
The hand of Madame X by Sargent
Dear Art Lover,
     The John Singer Sargent exhibition at The Met in New York City was an absolute pleasure to see.  How lucky I was that I was able to stay in the Big Apple for several days and see this Sargent exhibition before it closed.

     You may already know that Sargent is one of the painting gods in whose artworks most artists today find inspiration and awe.  He was a famous and popular portrait artist and painter, an American born in Florence, Italy, but who made his fame elsewhere first.  I love it that we were permitted to take photos in the museum.  I never use flash and I like to get close.  I have not bothered here to share with you the complete painting of a featured work. [The one shown here included people for your idea of his scale.] JS Sargent is famous enough that you likely know the works anyway. 

     Plus, let us zoom in on the delicious details of Sargent’s work.  I captured these images to help me remember the play of cold and warm, loose vs. more finished/detailed, and edges.  Always edges make the world of difference for the emotion conveyed in a work of art.

Detail of painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition New York City

      Thank you to those who sent me kind words about my blog and newsletter.  There was so much that I had to accomplish while in the US that my writing had to take a step back.  I thank you for making my art party with Warren Cullar a successful event in Austin, Texas, and that your interest and support make my life as an artist continue.  I am in the process of finding a home here in Italy and anxious to get settled in a new studio space.  I have a lot of creative time to make up for!  Grazie mille.

Peace,

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher


Detail of painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition New York City
Detail of painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition New York City
Detail of painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition New York City

Detail of painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition New York City

Detail of painting by John Singer Sargent - The Met exhibition New York City