The sun., 1901-11-10
BRIEF APPROPRIATIONS or SOME
AMERICAN PAINTERS.
". John singer Sargent.

| a
as an artist must recall the exhibition Of
| his work shown at Copley Hall. Boston.
| In 1859 There we're to be seen some fifty
| portraits and seventy-fve sketches and
studies, while hard by in the Museum
hung his large subject picture, IN Jaleo.
and in the library could be seen his mural
decorations. II was an impressive showing
both in amount and quality for an artist
| little over 40 years old.
But Sargent has been favored child
OF the MUSES. and early reached a maturity
for which Others have TO labor long and
| in the face OF disappointments. He. how
, ever, had never any thing to unlearn.
From the first he came under the influence
Of taste and style. the qualities which TO
this day most distinguish his work. The
son OF Massachusetts gentleman who
had retired from the practice OF medicine
| in Philadelphia no was born in Florence
| and there spent his youth. The home life
| was penetrated with refinement; good
| classical and modern education came in
| due course and all around him were the
! dignity and beauty OF Florence; it's tender
| beauty Of atmosphere and color and the
| noble memorials Of its galleries and streets.
/ PERHAPS no city I'm the world has so dis
| tinctiye a spirit, at once stimulating TO
| the intellect and refining TO the senses.
| Those of us who have felt II only after years
| OF bufieting In a grosser atmosphere can
but guess what II means TO have come
| under it's influence from childhood, during
the impreesionable period OF youth up
| TO IS. And not as a mere resident OF the
place, from the force of habit purbnd
! to its charm but Quickened by parents
who themselves were products of another
| kind Of civilization, keen to appreciate,
/ to absorb and to live in its spirit possessed
| also, of the American temperament so alert
| and sensitive TO impressions. while removed
from the dulllng influence Of our exceeding
practicalness.
When the young Sargent knocked at tho
studio Of Carolus Duran In the Boulevard
! Montparnasse with portfolio OF studies
under his arm, drawings from Titan, Tin
| torello and Neronesc, he WAS DO smart
young student, full Of up-to-date ideas.
| Very modest he is described ns being, OF
| quiet reflective disposition. pleased that
his drawings won the approval OF the master
| and the ent husiasm Of tho students, and
| eager TO set himself 10 learn With facility
that was partly a natural gift partly the
result Of a steady acceptance of the prob
lens presented he proceeded 10 absorb
the master: his breadth Of picturesque
style and refined pictorial sense, his sound
| and scientific Method, not devoid OF GER
| tain tricks OF illusion and his piquant and
persuasive modernity-the sum total OF an
art that was a modern Frenchman's para
| phrase Of one of tho biggest Of the old
| masters, Velasuuez. At % he painted
n portrait Of CaroluS, which shows
| he had absorbed his master so thor
oughly rs TO be unconscious Of the Incl
olentals Of his method and 10 have grasped
only the essentials. with such complete
assimilation that what he produces IL
already his own. later, he himself visited
Madrid and came under the direct spell
of Velasquez. The grand line he had
learned while still a boy and from Carolus
the seeing Of color as colored light, the
modelling in planes, the mysteries Of sharp
end vanishing outlines. appearing and
| reappear ring under the natural action Of
| light. n realism Of observation at once
brilliant and refined, large and penetrate
| ing and all these qualities he found united
in the subtly grandiose oanvases of the
great Spaniard Finally. from all these
influences he has fashioned a method very
much his own
|
II reveals the alertness and versatility OF
the American temperament. Nothing
escapes his observation, up Ia a certain
| point az least, he IL never tired Of fresh
| experiment, never repeats his compoSi-
| tIOns aud schemes Of color, nor shows per-
| fnctOrness or WEAKNESS Of brush. In all
| his work there II vivid meaniugfulnoss;
| in his portraits, especially, al amazing
| suggestion Of actuRlity On the other hand
his viruo~Iiy = largely French. reaching
| q perfeCtiOn of assuranc" that ih" quick
| witfai American h. for The muvt part m
| too great a hurry 90 acquire. a patient per
! fec'ipu, uof reliant upon mere Impression
! or force - temperament In lie abound
ing reeourceiulnr-s there H. a mingiing Of
/ audacitv and COnsCieutip business. "A facility
| 80 complete thai the aci- ut perception
| and ~ execution seem Identical. aud an
/ hUre-tv that uose not shrink from al
! mlttIug that suCn aud ruch - point was
. unattHinahl" hv him or that - have at
7 taluai Ii would have dl-t uri..d the balance
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I though u 10 French ia character. l. free II
. fh' French manner. a. ind"s.d pi any man
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