The 19^th century portrait painter John Singer Sargent found success creating flattering likenesses with virtuoso brushwork. His fluid, buttery brushstrokes and ability to render luxurious silks, satins, and velvets made him a favorite among the upper class and aristocracy. Despite this, his career was punctuated by criticism and controversy, including the scathing reception of major works like Madame X (1884) and Isabella Stewart Gardner (1888). Sargent himself admitted, “Every time I paint a portrait, I lose a friend.” Through it all, his talent with a brush—or what Sargent referred to as “the horny hand of toil”—proved to be his redemption, earning him an endless string of patrons and opportunitiThis program will provide an overview of Sargent’s career, from his daring and experimental works as an ambitious young artist drawing inspiration from his travels, through his celebrated Grand manner portraits of the European and American elite, to his major commissions including murals in Boston, and later watercolors (as well as the scandals along the way!).

The presenter, Jane Oneail, is founder of Culturally Curious, an arts education company specializing in art appreciation programs. She holds an M.A. in art history from Boston University and a Masters’ in Education from Harvard University.

image: Wyndham Sisters (detail), 1899; oil on canvas; Collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art