John Singer Sargent

This book is an engaging introduction to the life and work of John Singer Sargent, the most accomplished portrait painter of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century.

John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) is one of the most famous painters of his time. The masterful portraits for which he is best known capture not only a remarkable likeness to his sitters, but a sense of identity and personality, an energy and intimacy. Conveyed with deft and fluid brushwork, these portraits are testament to Sargent’s exceptional attention to detail and adept characterisation. But Sargent was much more than a portraitist, as revealed by the beautifully evocative scenes of the places that he visited and the people that he encountered on his extensive travels.

This fascinating book explores the life and work of Sargent, contextualising his practice within the times he lived. Beginning with his cosmopolitan childhood in Europe and studio training in Paris, it charts his rise to fame and establishment as a leading portraitist internationally, up until his final works during the outbreak of the First World War. Touching on his travels, his friendships and the personal connections that influenced his practice, this a true celebration of an extraordinary artist and his paintings, which continue to captivate today.

Elizabeth Prettejohn is a writer, independent curator and Professor of History of Art at the University of York.