DOI issue:
No. 389 (August 1925)
DOI article:Manson, James Bolivar: Notes on the works of J. S. Sargent
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21403#0086
NOTES ON THE WORKS OF J. S. SARGENT
But there seemed to be moments in his
work—moments crystallised, as it were, in
certain pictures—when something deeper
than that which ordinary portrait painting
could call on, came to the surface and
showed that he might have achieved works
of rarer beauty, if not of greater effective-
ness, if the exigencies of fashionable
portrait painting had left him more
leisure. a 0 0 0 0
There is, for example, a tender beauty
and an effective sense of decoration—so
simple and natural as almost to seem artless
—in the Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose which
was about his eighth picture exhibited at
the Royal Academy and which was pur-
chased out of the Chantrey Bequest funds
as early as 1887. There is a quality of
"LADY WITH A ROSE." BY
JOHN SINGER SARGENT, R.A.
(Pennsylvania Acad., 103rd Exhn.)
80
" COVENTRY PATMORE." BY
JOHN SINGER SARGENT, R.A.
(By courtesy of Mrs. Patmore
In the National Portrait Gallery)
beauty in this picture which never re-
appeared in quite such a pure form. As
an expression of child beauty it has
seldom been equalled, although he pro-
duced other paintings of children which
show a delicate perception of their simple
charm. And, again, the unfinished, yet
quite complete, portrait sketch of Eleonora
Duse showed a depth of sympathy and
insight and a tender subtlety of expression
which the painting of society portraits
never gave him a chance of revealing.
By this he made " a strange art in an art
familiar." 00000
Perhaps he felt something of this when
he sought to give up—or to relax—the
practice of portrait painting. 0 0
In Sir Philip Sassoon's fine collection
there is a very subtle and delicate Head of
a Girl which places Sargent much higher
than his average level. It is not less clever
than his other work, but the cleverness is
unobtrusive ; it is not used as a deliberate
means of expression. It is there, but it
is quite subservient. There is a difference,
But there seemed to be moments in his
work—moments crystallised, as it were, in
certain pictures—when something deeper
than that which ordinary portrait painting
could call on, came to the surface and
showed that he might have achieved works
of rarer beauty, if not of greater effective-
ness, if the exigencies of fashionable
portrait painting had left him more
leisure. a 0 0 0 0
There is, for example, a tender beauty
and an effective sense of decoration—so
simple and natural as almost to seem artless
—in the Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose which
was about his eighth picture exhibited at
the Royal Academy and which was pur-
chased out of the Chantrey Bequest funds
as early as 1887. There is a quality of
"LADY WITH A ROSE." BY
JOHN SINGER SARGENT, R.A.
(Pennsylvania Acad., 103rd Exhn.)
80
" COVENTRY PATMORE." BY
JOHN SINGER SARGENT, R.A.
(By courtesy of Mrs. Patmore
In the National Portrait Gallery)
beauty in this picture which never re-
appeared in quite such a pure form. As
an expression of child beauty it has
seldom been equalled, although he pro-
duced other paintings of children which
show a delicate perception of their simple
charm. And, again, the unfinished, yet
quite complete, portrait sketch of Eleonora
Duse showed a depth of sympathy and
insight and a tender subtlety of expression
which the painting of society portraits
never gave him a chance of revealing.
By this he made " a strange art in an art
familiar." 00000
Perhaps he felt something of this when
he sought to give up—or to relax—the
practice of portrait painting. 0 0
In Sir Philip Sassoon's fine collection
there is a very subtle and delicate Head of
a Girl which places Sargent much higher
than his average level. It is not less clever
than his other work, but the cleverness is
unobtrusive ; it is not used as a deliberate
means of expression. It is there, but it
is quite subservient. There is a difference,