ART FOR ART'S SAKE

Here is a strange Sargent oil painting.

It would appear to be his valet, Nicola Dilnverno - in a dress.

Young Man in Reverie
John Singer Sargent 1878

The painting was sold at Sotheby's in 1994 for $200,500

Madame Paul Poirson
John Singer Sargent 1885

"In 1883 John Singer Sargent rented a studio owned by Paul Poirson. According to family history this portrait of Poirson's wife was done in lieu of a rent payment."

(JSS Gallery.org)

This Sargent oil painting reminds me a little of "Bubbles" (originally titled "A Child's World"), by Millais that was used to advertise Pear's soap.

Nowadays it would be considered effeminate and the long curly hair in this portrait heightens the effect.

Master Skein Keith 1892
Oil

"This watercolour depicts Sargent’s Parisian friend and neighbour, Henriette Roger-Jourdain.

She died from an overdose of sleeping pills, inconsolable, it is said, at the death of her son in the First World War."

Madame Roger-Jourdain
John Singer Sargent 1883-1885?
Watercolor on paper

P.S. She is lying on grass, not floating on water.

An interesting painting: The subject is Sargent's neice, Reine Ormond, in an exotic cashmere shawl in seven different poses.

Cashmere
John Singer Sargent 1908

In this painting Sargent has captured the might of a mountainous sea.

I wonder whether he actually experienced it, or was it from his imagination?

Atlantic Storm
John Singer Sargent1876

Oil on canvas

This JSS painting shows the ceremony of "incensing the veil".

Fumée d'Ambre Gris
John Singer Sargent 1880
Oil on canvas

Here is a fiery dancer for you.

Spanish Dancer (woman)
John Singer Sargent

Here, for a change, is one of John Singer Sargent's drawings, rather than a painting.

Reclining Figures (David in Saul’s Camp)
Charcoal on paper
Sheet: 47.5 x 62 cm (18 11/16 x 24 7/16 in.)

I am returning to Sargent's architectural paintings of Venice, with this atmospheric watercolour "Under the Rialto Bridge".

I do like the low-level viewpoint, almost on the water.

John Singer Sargent 1909
Transparent and opaque watercolor over graphite pencil on paper
27.6 x 48.3 cm (10 7/8 x 19 in.)

This sensitive portrait by John Singer Sargent is not from my usual source and it is untitled.

Perhaps one of you can tell me who she is.

You will have noticed yesterday that one of the chess players was Sargent's valet, Nicola DiInverno.

Now, I always thought that Nicola was a girl's name, but apparently not exclusively.

Sargent occasionally used his valet as a model and here are two nude studies.

Sargent was an avid chess player and it was a game he often played on his painting trips.

This picture was painted in Purtud, which is a little town in the Val d'Aosta on the Italian-Swiss border and it portrays his personal valet, Nicola d'Inverno, with one of his nieces.

John Singer Sargent 1907
Oil on canvas

This painting by John Singer Sargent was inspired by his trip to Naples in 1878 which he took with his family.

Nowadays in many places photographs of children playing on public beaches or in a pool are not allowed, even if they are clothed.

John Singer Sargent 1879
Oil on Canvas