Sargent's Portraits

Self Portrait, 1907

http://hoocher.com/john_singer_sargent/john_singer_sargent.htm

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1907

http://www.illusionsgallery.com/Lady-Agnew.html

Flora Priestley by Lamplight, 1887

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1XbCsR5voz8/SZYSaEjW_-I/AAAAAAAADns/ewxFlapZ5dw/s400/Flora-Priestley-I-large.jpg

Dorothy, 1900

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/John_Singer_Sargent_Dorothy.jpg

Caspar Goodrich, 1887
http://hoocher.com/john_singer_sargent/Sargent_John_Singer_Portrait_of_Caspar_Goodrich.jpg

The Birthday Party, 1887

http://hoocher.com/john_singer_sargent/Sargent_Fete_Familiale_The_Birthday_Party.jpg

For more portraits, go to:

http://hoocher.com/john_singer_sargent/john_singer_sargent.htm

Influence, Innocence, and Identity: Sargent's Creations

A great deal of mystery surrounds the lifeworks of American portraitist John Singer Sargent. He painted during an era in which portraiture was not considered a high art form; instead it was seen as merely a means of providing aristocrats with their likenesses. Critics claim that Sargent simply sought to meet this need with his portraiture, in essence, that he painted is subjects without personality or depth of character. However, in many of Sargent’s commissioned paintings of adults, he reveals character as seen by society. In many cases, he represents the subject’s social-self, the image that he/she wishes to put forth in order to properly fit into society, which is very telling of character. In spite of the initial mystery of Sargent’s adult portraits, Sargent actually transformed 19th century portraiture from a merely physical representation of the sitter to one of emotional intensity.

Most evident of the depth of character revealed in Sargent’s portraits are his many paintings of children. Sargent had more freedom when painting children because of the nature of child portraiture. Generally, parents had an artist paint a portrait of their sons or daughters as a trial run before allowing him to paint themselves. Therefore, Sargent had less pressure to aesthetically please his sitter. Also, children are much freer with themselves and therefore are not yet molded into society’s expectations.

Sargent differed from his contemporaries in his paintings of children because he did not represent them as mindless, innocent cherubs. Instead he allowed them to portray intelligence and a distinct sense of character. Many of the children in his paintings gaze boldly at the viewer, rather than shy away in a manner that many adults would expect from children. This willingness to allow his child sitters an identity may be connected to the nature of Sargent’s own childhood.

Sargent’s youth was one of tragedy and uncertainty. Because of the many illnesses in Sargent’s immediate family, they were forced to move constantly in order to receive treatment. This nomadic lifestyle did not allow the Sargent children to ever have a permanent home or make lasting friendships. This resulted in a very reclusive and private adult Sargent. Little is known about his own character which is reflected in his more mysterious paintings of adults. His portraits of children echo the early maturity that Sargent was forced to acquire.

Sargent was adept at portraying both individual character and social position in his portraits. His commissioned adult portraits present character mysteriously, and one must look through a veil of fashion and social boundaries in order to plumb the inner emotional depths. Primarily, these portraits are representations of the subjects’ social selves, the manner in which they express themselves in society. In contrast with the adult portraits are Sargent’s representations of children. While to a certain extent the adults hide behind social restraints, children are free to express themselves, and therefore Sargent was able to express the true child. Perhaps as a result of his own premature intelligence from his unsettled childhood, he painted intelligence and identity into children rather than the harmless purity so often applied by his contemporaries. Sargent used realistic images and expressions to produce portraits that simultaneously established social position, aesthetic comfort, and depth of character.

Prompts:

• Do you agree that Sargent effectively expresses character and identity in his portraits? What do you feel is the biggest difference between his portraits of adults versus those of children?
• Do you feel that Sargent accurately portrays the character of children in his portraits or does he exaggerate their degree of intelligence? Explain.
• Sargent titles many of his portraits by the name of his subject(s). Choose several of Sargent’s portraits that you believe reveal character and suggest a new title that is more descriptive. Explain your choice.
• Little is known about Sargent’s personal identity. Choose one of his paintings and write a narrative of the events that took place between Sargent and the subject(s) before, during, and after the painting of the portrait.

Response to Vreeland's 'Olympia's Look'

A husband’s death is a terrible thing for a woman to be faced with. However, a wife can be nearly as grief-stricken by a husband’s betrayal. Suzanne Manet had both of these realities forced upon her. As the wife of an artist, Suzanne was constantly cast into doubt regarding Édouard’s fidelity when presented with his many sensual paintings of female models. The harsh proof of his inconstancy came in the form of a disease, syphilis, that was responsible for Édouard’s death. Ironically, it was Suzanne who stood by his side through his suffering, despite the fact that the disease was the result of the artist’s disloyalty. Yet she did stay by his side. She was his wife. And this simple fact, above all, defined Suzanne Manet’s character. For eleven years she waited for Édouard’s father to die so that they could be married. Eleven years is a long time for such a secret to be kept and it would have been very easy for Édouard to abandon Suzanne and find a more suitable wife. Yet Édouard, no matter how many other mistresses he took, stuck with Suzanne. He must have truly loved her. This small assurance was what sustained Suzanne through her anguish. She was loyal to him, though the opposite cannot be said. She vowed to “keep the peace.” However, she cannot be criticized for being oblivious and overly doting. Suzanne suffered in silence. She was not forgiving, and some of her jealousy and hurt came out in the end. Her character was strong and she achieved what few women could possibly do. She put her faith in the fact that her husband loved her longest, if not exclusively.

Several passages in Vreeland’s short story Olympia’s Look stood out to me as both descriptions of Suzanne’s character and as evidence of her trials. The scene in which she discussed Édouard’s paintings with Albert was the first indication of the quiet jealousy Suzanne had always felt towards his models. In pages 72-76, Suzanne tells Albert her own private names for each of Édouard’s paintings. The names were demeaning towards the models, but served as reminders to Suzanne that these women were prostitutes and courtesans whereas she was The Wife. In this passage, the reader gets a sense of Suzanne’s own self-consciousness as she compares the less than admirable paintings of herself with those of the beautiful models. Additionally, Suzanne gives us a clear impression of her own feelings when she tells Albert, “the Dutch may be tolerant, but they’re not particularly forgiving” (75). Outwardly, she appeared tolerant of Édouard’s indulgences, but no matter how quiet she was about his betrayal, she did not forgive him or his models for it.

Another striking passage occurred on pages 79-80 when Suzanne is describing Édouard’s funeral and all of his model-lovers who attended. After a long description of the many women, a single sentence stands alone: “any one of them could have been the one to have caused his death” (80). This is what sets Suzanne apart, and, at least in her opinion, places her above Édouard’s mistresses. While one of these women at his funeral could have given the artist the disease that took his life, Suzanne stood virtuously above these women as she cared for him in his final days of pain.

Suzanne actions are primarily in response to the events unfolding in her life. For example, when she finds Édouard’s love letter to Isabelle, instead of confronting him with it she places it in her book with the intention that if he found the note they would discuss the situation. Her role as a dutiful wife came with her husband’s sickness. Also, she never would have confronted Victorine Meurent if she had not received her request for money. That prompted Suzanne to visit Victorine which lead to her perverse description of Édouard’s final hours. This outburst was a result of the resentful tension that Suzanne had hidden inside herself for years.

Vreeland’s writing seemed to reflect the thoughts and feelings of most any woman placed in Suzanne’s situation, at least from that day and age. Suzanne’s repressed feelings were relatively well represented, including her struggle with the idea of her self-worth. However, the story leaves me wondering whether Suzanne even felt jealous of the models or if this is merely a more modern interpretation of the situation. It was not uncommon in that era for men to take mistresses. Also, would an artist’s models have attended his funeral? Small discrepancies such as these are a reminder that Vreeland’s story is fiction, merely a story created to fill in the gaps between existing people, paintings and letters.

Children of the Screen

In some respects, we are all children of the screen. This generation has grown up surrounded by modern conveniences that allow entertainment and the media to pervade our homes and minds. We have adapted to this way of life. Why? Because that is what we know, how we have been raised. So yes, this generation lives considerably more in a state of virtual reality, however, that is not the only way that our society should be defined.

Hannah Baylon states that “the media is our environment.” The media does make up a large part of our lives, and so in the same essence it makes up only part of our environment. Not all of us live in the cities, surrounded by cement and buildings, with no appreciation for the exquisite earth. In fact, many of us live in and among nature’s beauty and take pleasure in the things beyond an exclusively social environment.

I do not believe that any of us are unaffected by the media and the predominately socially constructed environment that surrounds us. However, as much as I occasionally enjoy artificial pastimes, I have found that there is so much more to life than television and similar distractions. Baylon doubts that we as a society are realizing our true purposes in life and wonders whether or not we are just abiding by the ideas of others. To me, this seems a bit dehumanizing. Despite the vast amount of external influences that surround us, we are still people capable of thinking for ourselves. Here in the university setting, I am surrounded by peers who, like me, aspire to fulfilling and meaningful careers and lives. I believe that for the most part our generation is not content to remain in a stagnant and uncreative setting. In particular, Baylon makes the assumption that only “a negligible fraction of today’s society is free to explore and nurture their creative potentials.” In my opinion, with today’s ever-advancing and changing technology and opportunities, there are endless possibilities for creative expansion and exploration. I can at least speak for myself that as I aspire to become a veterinarian, there will be no end to the need for creative thinking and willingness to learn new things as technology advances. This is one of the benefits to this increasingly technological world.

By conforming to modern society, there is no need to lose our personal identities. Certainly, there is a need to balance the virtual world and the natural one. We cannot allow media and television to dominate our lives. Indeed, we are accustomed to this materialistic world and need to make an effort to not let it completely govern society. There are definite disadvantages to being children of the screen, especially when you do consider those who let virtual reality rule. As Baylon says, we must avoid letting “our naturalness and essential humanness be bred out of civilization.” Fortunately, we have not yet reached such a state. Currently there is much to be said for the individuality and ingenuity of the millennial generation.

Lastly, Baylon’s disturbing photograph seems to conclude her idea of a child of the screen. The woman in the photo is silenced and chained, backed by a blue television screen. A gray hue is cast upon her person. Baylon seems to be making the point that the media-driven society shuts people out of the world. However, I believe that in some aspects, media has helped people broadcast their opinions and lives to the world. With social networking and international television, children of the screen are able to connect and interact with people in ways that truly allow their voices to be heard.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story of the movie’s namesake, Dorian Gray, a young and handsome man who is the subject of a portrait painted by artist Basil Hallward. While at Basil’s house, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton and is caught up by his radical ideas. Lord Henry lives life for pleasure’s sake and points out to Dorian the horrendous fact that youth and beauty are temporary. As Dorian studies his handsome likeness he wishes that he would stay young forever and that instead his portrait would show the signs of age. He decides that he would give his soul in order to never grow old. Dorian’s wish comes true and he begins to see the signs of his actions and age in Basil’s painting. With the jilting and eventual suicide of his fiancée and innumerable other wicked and aberrant acts, the portrait takes on a demonic quality. It shows not only the signs of age, but also the evidence of his many sins. At the end of the film, Dorian performs one good deed by walking away from Gladys, the girl he loved, so as to save her from himself. With the idea of destroying that which had ruined his life, Dorian stabs the painting in the heart. The painting and Dorian himself switch appearances and he falls to the ground with a last prayer for forgiveness.

One of the scenes that stood out to me the most took place at the very beginning of the film, when Lord Henry first meets Dorian Gray. The scene takes place at Basil’s studio and really sets up the entire rest of the story. At this point in time, Dorian is uncorrupt but caught up in his own youth and handsomeness. In addition to introducing his idea that the most precious thing in life is youth, Lord Henry also makes the prophetic remark, “the aim of life is self-development, to realize one’s nature perfectly.” As the film progresses, Dorian is indeed forced to realize his nature when the hard evidence is presented to him in the deformed painting. In that introductory scene, Lord Henry also states that, “there is nothing that can cure the soul but the senses, just as there is nothing that can cure the senses but the soul.” In this scene, Dorian for the first time becomes conscious of himself and of his fleeting youth. He in essence sells his soul for eternal youth.

An image that warrants note in this scene is the statue of the cat that is painted along with Dorian in his portrait. The image of the cat persists throughout the entire film. It is implied that it is an Egyptian god that was responsible for granting Dorian’s damning wish. The cat’s almost spectral presence in this scene initiates the motif that continues throughout the film. Fittingly, cats are often a symbol of mystery and evil.

This opening scene introduces many of the present themes and foreshadows some of the future events in the film. The cat motif, the portrait itself, the fascination of youth, and the relationships between Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, Lord Henry Wotton, and Gladys are established. It is the set up for the moral dilemma that is the heart of this film’s message. The portrait is a manifestation of the evil inside of those who choose to live without conscience for the sake of greed or vanity. It is a representation of the impact that sin has upon the soul.

Who Is That Person? Image 11

At first glance, portrait number eleven appears to be rather nondescript and distinctly unremarkable. However, closer observation of the subject’s features and attire may give insight into the girl’s personality and circumstances. The girl in question looks to be somewhere between fifteen and twenty years of age. The painting is obviously dated, if her old-fashioned attire is any indication. I get the impression that this is a young woman who possesses little control over her life. She is quite posed but looks rather forlorn. An aura surrounds her that suggests that of one who is unloved or even outcast from social norms. Her pale features and stark attire lend to the impression of meekness.

The features that draw my attention the most and appear to be the focal point of the piece are the girl’s eyes. They are abnormally large and have an almost eerie look about them. The enlarged eyes are disproportionate to the rest of her face. There is a pleading look that emanates from those eyes as they stare directly at the observer. Her left and right eyes differ in size and cause her face to look unbalanced and rather odd. However, despite all of this, there is a small note of defiance there that reflects a degree of uniqueness despite forced conformity.

In stark contrast to the young woman’s striking eyes are her dark under-eye shadows and pale complexion. These features cause the girl to look tired and a little ill. It is therefore suggested that the subject has had few comforts in her life.

The girl’s large eyes and nose serve to downplay her significantly smaller mouth. The pale lips are barely noticeable and are firmly shut, supporting the idea of being “seen and not heard.”

In addition to her facial features, her manner of dress is wholly austere and proper. The conservative, high-buttoned collar, muted colors, and severe hairstyle are indicative of discipline and propriety. Interestingly, her attire is not very womanly and instead of clutching flower so some such feminine accessory, she holds a book. Perhaps this deviation from the norm indicates a certain nonconformity to the female pursuits of the time.

A book is held open by a pale hand in the lower left corner of the portrait. This book could present alternate insights into the subject’s character. For one thing the book is red, a color that stands alone in the muted scheme of the painting. A bible of some sort would seem fitting, as an emphasis to a pious nature. I believe that it is more likely to be some sort of literature. Reading can be an escape from reality and having a book in the portrait suggests an introspective nature.

I feel that there is much more to this girl than meets the eye. Beneath a meek and submissive exterior there is a young woman who longs for more out of life. She is governed by a strict regime and appears to have received little love. Despite all of this there is a quiet intelligence that exists beneath her stifled persona. She is down-to-earth but has had little means in which to express herself. As her lasting portrait reflects, she remains eternally trapped in the cage that life and society has placed around her.

Photos