Friday Favorites.....John Singer Sargent

I fell a little in love with the paintings of John Singer Sargent when I came across a lucky find at my favorite flea market a couple years ago. It was a framed poster advertising a Scottish gallery showing of Sargent's work and the painting on the poster was his portrait of Lady Agnew. Since we share that last name, I had to buy it. After bringing it home I Googled Sargent and found more of his paintings that I admire, so I thought I'd feature him for my Friday Favorites.

Sargent was American, but lived and worked in Europe much of his life. He is considered an Impressionist, in that he painted every day life around, and was a contemporary and friend of Millet, Monet and others as well known for that style. However, he also painted formal and informal portraits...and lots of them. He was so admired for his work that it became a very trendy thing for the wealthy and noble to commision him to paint their likenesses.

Here is my favorite, as aforementioned:

Lady Agnew

And here is the poster that hangs in my living room.

And another famous one is his portrait of Madame X.

Very alluring indeed.

Madame X

Miss Eden

This girl is lovely....just too bad that she is forever immortalized as "Mrs. Cecil Someone."

Mrs. Cecil Wade

Mrs. Henry White

Mrs. John J looks a little scary, I think.

Mrs. John J. Chapman

How about this seductive beauty.

Spanish Dancer

Here's the way I would like to be painted!

Madame Roger-Jourdain

Sargent also painted everyday scenes like these.

The Oyster Gatherers 

Oyster Gatherers

This painting is so sad and grim compared with the previous painting.

Street in Venice

And the occasional Still Life. 

So Sargent is my favorite for this drizzly Friday. I hope he brightens your Friday too.