From the age of 18 to 30, the painter John Singer Sargent lived in Paris, where he proved to be a brilliant portraitist. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is now devoting itself to the painter's early work in the exhibition Sargent and Paris. It will be shown in New York from April 27.
Around 1900, the American John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was the most sought-after and most expensive portraitist in the world. Countless aristocrats demanded portraits, which Sargent executed with extraordinary technical skill. Sargent's extraordinary career as an artist began in Paris, where he moved with his family in 1874 at the age of 18 to begin training as a painter. He became a pupil of the sought-after portraitist Carolus-Duran. Over the years, Sargent built up a reputation as a courageous portraitist who pushed the boundaries of convention but produced first-class pictures for the taste of the time. His breakthrough came with the iconic portrait Madame X (1883/4), which was not a commissioned work but was created at Sargent's request. It shows a young lady from the USA who was married to a banker in Paris. The painting was considered a scandal due to its revealing shoulder area and effectively ended Sargent's time in Paris, where he was unable to find any new commissions. However, he was more in demand than ever among British and American clients, so Sargent moved to London and became one of the most famous artists of his time. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is now dedicating Sargent and Paris to the painter's early work. The exhibition runs from April 27 to August 3 in New York.
John Singer Sargent was born in Florence to American parents and spent almost his entire life in various European cities. He inherited his enthusiasm for the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez from his teacher Carolus-Duran, whose paintings Sargent copied in the Prado. Towards the end of his life, Sargent's exceptional technical skills were countered by the accusation that he only produced superficial art. By this time, he had long since earned a reputation as the world's best portrait painter. Over 900 oil paintings and 2000 watercolors by Sargent are known today.
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