John Singer Sargent

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T.
he name John Singer Sargent brings to mind paintings of society belles in satin and lace, of powerful, brooding industrialists and their families—brilliant portraits executed with a dazzling technical virtuosity that made him one of the most popular painters of his day. This popularity has survived the test of time, prompting a thoughtful reappraisal by one of our most prominent art critics. Carter Rat-cliff, who shows us that Sargent's range was much greater than is usually supposed. This quiet, enigmatic man devoted much of his time to the art of watercolour, escaping the demands of his wealthy patrons whenever he could to capture the beauty of the European and American landscapes in a spontaneous, vibrant style.
Never before has a book so thoroughly covered the full expanse of this extraordinary artist's work. One hundred thirteen large colour plates and over 200 black-and-white illustrations convey the extravagant glamour of his society portraits, the exuberance of his... Tovább

Fülszöveg

T.
he name John Singer Sargent brings to mind paintings of society belles in satin and lace, of powerful, brooding industrialists and their families—brilliant portraits executed with a dazzling technical virtuosity that made him one of the most popular painters of his day. This popularity has survived the test of time, prompting a thoughtful reappraisal by one of our most prominent art critics. Carter Rat-cliff, who shows us that Sargent's range was much greater than is usually supposed. This quiet, enigmatic man devoted much of his time to the art of watercolour, escaping the demands of his wealthy patrons whenever he could to capture the beauty of the European and American landscapes in a spontaneous, vibrant style.
Never before has a book so thoroughly covered the full expanse of this extraordinary artist's work. One hundred thirteen large colour plates and over 200 black-and-white illustrations convey the extravagant glamour of his society portraits, the exuberance of his watercolours, the stately pomp of his Boston murals. The evolution of certain key works is traced through studies that reveal the fascinating process of Sargent's creativity, from the most tentative pencil drawings to the highly finished oil paintings.
Born in Florence in 1856 to American parents, Sargent spent a nomadic childhood before going to Paris to study with the progressive academic artist, Emile Carolus-Duran. He quickly surpassed his master, and by the 1880s Sargent had begun the steady climb to fame that ultimately placed him at the center of his society, with a formidable circle of friends and colleagues that included Henry James, Claude Monet, and James Whistier. A self-effacing man, he left no journal and little correspondence; his charming, elusive character is recreated in the text through his rare letters to friends and the speculations of his contemporaries.
When Sargent died in 1925, a childhood companion wrote in her memorial that "the
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summing up of a would-be biographer must, 1 think, be: He painted." It is the strikingly beautiful results of that unceasing devotion to his art that glow throughout the pages of this incomparable book.
About the author
Carter Ratcliff—art critic, professor, and poet —is contributing editor for Art in America and Saturday Review, as well as editorial associate for Art International. He has published extensively in those and other journals; his six-part article, "Art Criticism: Other Minds, Other Eyes," led to a Guggenheim Fellowship in the history of American art criticism. Books and major essays by Mr. Ratcliff include Botero (Abbeville Press); Gilbert and George (Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Holland); and an essay in Joseph Cornell (Museum of Modern Art, New York). From 1971 to the present he has taught art history and art criticism at the School of Visual Arts, New York.
British Landscape Painting
MICHAEL ROSENTHAL
This superbly illustrated book exemplifies the richness and diversity of British landscape painting. It includes, among others, the works of Knyff, Gainsborough, Turner, Constable, and Paul Nash. The author traces the development of landscape painting from its medieval origins to the present. He shows how changes in the landscape, as well as the artist's perception of it, are closely related to changes in society. His argument is supported by references to the literature and history of the relevant period. Of importance to the art historian, this book will also appeal to those interested in literature and social history.
305 a: 225mm, 192 pp, 184 illustrations, 70 in colour
0 7148 2198 5 L15.00
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