The Minneapolis journal., 1906-01-22
JOHN NSARGENT, r. H.,
CAUGHT At WORK.
HOW THE GREATEST PORTRAIT
PAINTER POSES A SUBJECT.
At the End Of the First Sitting the
Canvas Shows Good Likeness-He
Completes Portrait with Rapid
Sweeps of His Brushes-He Does Not
Affect t'the Artistic in His Dress.
New York World.

the same methods in producing their T
pictures. there is yet certain slml.
larity of procedure among most OF
them. John Sargent, Americas and
has, however, method entirely his
own.
He is q rapid worker if his sitter is
a good subject, but at the same time
he is exceedingly painstaking, and will
Seesn Because pa dissatisfied. a e subject 5 @ that
will interest him will keep him en-
crossed unheedful Of time and not once
will he alter line or shade Of color,
but proceed unfalteringly to the COM
pletion of the portrait.
When deeply engrossed in his work |
he huns scraps of operas, little French |
chansonnettes, or he emits faint whis-
ties as he advances and retreats to
and from his canvas.
At the first sitting he will spend per
haps three minutes IN conversation with
his sitter, all the while watching his
subject closely.
dictatorially, but suggesting and en-
couraging suggestion. Generally he
waits for the subject to fall into some
natural and unrestrained attitude pc
culiar to himself or herself.
Having agreed upon the pose, more
or less, he seizes his palette and
huge in size and look the implements
of an artisan rather than of the great
est Of living portrait painters.
Mixing on his palette some umber
and yellow ochre, he advances toward
his canvas, his right hand on line
| with his eye. With rapid swishing
strokes he daubs the canvas and then
retreats. glancing rapidly from sub.
| iect to canvaa in ha strateheS ont
his brush hand, describing little i'm
aginary circles in the air. His move
ments suggest boxer sparring for an
opening in his opponents s. defense. Like
magic the daubs Of paint begin to take
shape until one suddenly realizes that
every shade and shadow is indicated
and decided semblance of the sitter
already is upon the canvas.
! Now he selects another brush and,
squeezing tube or two, he mixes q
new shade. He dashes at the canvas
and dabs flesh tint upon the spot
where the forehead is to be. He steps
back with great rapidity and looks at
the effect. With head on one side and
right hand gently tanning the air, his
attitude reminds one Of boxer more
than ever. o.
In fifteen minutes there is recog-
!; nizable semblance Of the sitter.
All this time there is rapid cross
; fire of conversation if the portraitee is
as good talker as the artist. Mr..
I, Sargent rather encourages his sitter to
talk, believing that by this means he
keeps an animated and natural express
sion of countenance. With remarkable
,. skill he leads the conversation in direc-
|, tions suitable and interesting to his
1 to interest him. Politics., he admits,
} puzzles him. ss English politics don It
understand, he says, and American
j., is worse.'' But on literature-French,
j, German, English and American-he is
. thoroly fluent. He holds strong opin'
): ions on the work Of the great masters
s of the painters art, and his views are
; rather unconventional as to their merits
in relation to one another. Rubens il
. evidently his bette noire. He has little
. admiration for the too solid flesh OF thu
+ great Dutch painter.
L The dainty models Of the French
4 school are much more to his liking. III
!. is not one Of those who scorn American
!, art. On the contrary, he has higi
opinion of contemporary painters 0!
B. this side, and rattles of list of .Ameri
5 can artists whose work he adnnires.
IS ID While he works Mr.. Sargent smoke
>. innumerable cigafets of Egyptian to
= bacco. There is not better cigaret il
i, London than the one smoked by MI
3, Sargent. Having lighted cigaret, h
* smokes the fragrant mcrsel till !,
- burns his beard, without removing i
once from his mouth. Then he drop
5. the stub into little bronze saucer
=; water.
% At the end Of the first sitting tn
); canvas shows good likeness, and wit
8, the second the hair and eyes are fin
rs ished off. At the end Of the third tn
= hands are dealt with. The painting o
% hands is one Of Mr.. Sargent's delights
He spends more time upon good han
than upon any other part OF q portrait
e At the fourth sitting the details Q
b dress are painted in, while at the fft
y a general touching up or toning dow
y takes place.
/ Like all great artists in any depar,
z ment Of fine arts, Mr.. Sargent is el
:. tirely lacking in self lf-consciorsness. ii
~ Is quite without frills'' or eccentric
= ty. He has no high-falutin ideas abou
7. the art of portraiture. He is no painte
= impatiently any suggestion that he
Il clairvoyant and thru the faces read
- the innermost workings of their mind
q CT paint what is before me- b
=. says in effect. elf the subjects cha,
# acter is not represented in his feature
s and expression, SO much the worse fe
ID the subject. I portray externals.
er IS not Cne aftiSt.S 3 DllSluesS " utS Ill
" delve for subtle shades of character.
A writer in Everybody's MagaziI
Ii, has said of Mr.. Sargent: He is a so:
" of Prince Charming of art-a trif
ii cold and worldly, perhaps, but phenom
is nally gifted. Yet in summing up h
is work it is obvious that these gifts o.
G. not gifts of the spirit, but gifts I
ne sense-of eve and hand, rather than
!. heart and mind.o
In In appearance Mr.. Sargent does nj
Of suggest the artist. He does not affe
is the slovenly, artistic style of dressin
I'd nor does he wear his hair long. F
rd looks like successful architect
IN medical man who possesses a goe
sd valet.
a Six feet in height, broad Of shoulde
upright and athletic. he appears to
ar man in the pink Of condition who
to Just beginning to take on little OF tt
lal weight that comes to a man of 30.
Is In view Of the frequency Of suicide
ru Dover, England, the local clergy ha'
or agreed not to use the prayerbook ord
ITO Of burial at the funerals Of those VI
M
he ---- - -- - -
:. :, MARI IELD-