ONLINE PROGRAM

John Singer Sargent: the van Dyck of the Gilded Age

Bonita Billman, lecturer in art history and retired professor from the Department of Art and Art History at Georgetown University 

An expatriate American, John S. Sargent (1856-1925) was born in Florence, Italy, trained in Paris, and lived most of his life in London. He was trained by a friend of Manet, knew the Impressionists and their methods, and often painted en plein air. In England, Sargent was the heir to his artistic ancestors Sir Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, and Sir Thomas Lawrence — like them a painter of extraordinary talent and facility. By 1890, he was the undisputed premier portraitist of Gilded Age society, painting British, European, and American sitters. Rodin called him the “van Dyck of our age.” Demand for his portrait work was so intense, Walter Sickert complained of this “Sargentolatry.” For his own sanity, Sargent painted small oils and bravura watercolors of landscapes and genre scenes, especially on long summer holidays. Eventually, he grew tired of painting faces and he closed his portrait studio in 1908. A demanding project which took many years was his mural work for Boston institutions like the Public Library. This year 2025 is the centenary of Sargent’s death and the milestone is being marked by a number of exhibitions, including one in New York City currently on view.

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)