John Singer Sargent, Complete Paintings, Volume 1: The Early Portraits (Vol 1)

Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism

John Singer Sargent, Complete Paintings, Volume 1: The Early Portraits (Vol 1) Details

From Library Journal This work, published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and the result of 16 years of research, is the first volume of the definitive catalogue raisonne of Sargent's works in oil, watercolor, and pastel. This volume covers Sargent's formative years in France and England and his first professional trip to America in 1887. His subjects range from family and friends to writers and other artists, as well as the famous Robert Louis Stevenson looking gaunt and the actress Ellen Terry in her role as Lady MacBeth. It was also during this creative period that Sargent painted the well-known group portrait "The Daughters of Edward D. Boit" and the portrait of Madame Gautreau, the controversial and exotic "Madame X." The planned Volume 2 will cover Sargent from 1890 to the end of his career, bringing together nearly 600 portraits, 1600 landscapes, and three murals, many reproduced for the first time. Volume 1 is illustrated with 80 black-and-white and 180 color reproductions. Each sitter is identified, with discussion on the context of the painting, along with provenance and exhibition history. A good companion to Trevor Fairbrother's more text-driven John Singer Sargent (LJ 7/94). Highly recommended for all collections.?Joseph C. Hewgley, Nashville P.L., TNCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more Review "This is the first volume in a complete-works catalog that will include oil paintings, watercolors and pastels by the 19th Century American expatriate. . . . It encompasses a number of his most famous paintings, reproducing them beautifully in color and providing a number of luscious closeups of his virtuoso brushwork. The superb introductory essay sets his work against artistic theories of the period, and detailed entries on the paintings provide even biographical accounts of the sitters. A book that amply justifies its sixteen years of labor―and not only to specialists."―Alan G. Artner, Chicago Tribune"This second volume of Ormond and Kilmurray’s comprehensively researched catalogue raisonné of Sargent’s work in oil, watercolor, and pastel provides the most extensive provenance, publication, and exhibition histories to date for nearly 150 extant and untraced or destroyed portraits and portrait studies from the decade during which the artist reached the pinnacle of his career. . . . [An] impressive package, [and] an invaluable research tool for scholars. Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and researchers."—Choice"This magnificent, erudite compilation demonstrates fittingly that Sargent was the outstanding society portraitist of his age. . . . It is a volume that should be in every library."—Byron Ireland, Day by Day"This superb monument of art scholarship finally does justice to the greatest portrait painter of modern times."—New York Sun"The Early Portraits is a lavishly illustrated, handsome publication, fully embodying the high standard for art books, particularly those on painting, we have come to expect from Yale University Press. . . . This is fine, evocative writing, which goes far to suggest why Sargent’s early portraits merit our close attention. The Early Portraits thoroughlyestablishes the factual record of their creation and has immediately become a standard reference in their continuing appreciation."—Mary Crawford Volk, New England Quarterly Read more About the Author Richard Ormond is Director of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. Elaine Kilmurray has published a number of articles on Sargent. Read more

Reviews

This is an absolutely fabulous collection of the works by Sargent (I just ordered the last two volumes of this 9-volume series). As a portrait painter myself, I loved reading the backstories on his works, which also serve as a loose biography of Sargent as well as illustrating some of his general techniques and how he approached his work. Not only are these stories entertaining to me, but offer valuable ideas for my own work. Also interesting and entertaining are the stories of how his life intersected with the many famous and talented people whom he knew and painted.The books are lavishly illustrated with large color prints (I've read other reviews criticizing the reproductions, but myself, I find these critiques groundless).Sargent's great-nephew (Richard Ormond), who oversaw this project, not only did a commendable service for his great-uncle's legacy, but also for any artist, library, and art historian who might want a definitive catalog of Sargent's life works.This is now one of the go-to treasures of my personal art library.

Share this post