The sun., 1912-07-21
Intellectual and Technical Qualities in
His Pictures That Have Won
Honors for Him Everywhere

whether he cared ut all for the people he
painted. either for their past or their
present. or for anything except the mo
ment they stood before him twddling
their watch chains or spreading their
fans.
or that moment. though. We have the
absolute record. and a terrible one 1t is
sometimes. for the artist without illusions
himself is pitiless for those OF his sitters.
lf lady thinks to renew her youth by
artiflce she appears not with the roses
and lilies OF nature on her face. but with
| rouge and powder manifest and unmis-
taxable: II the statesman bends his brows
and puffs up his chest he is displayed not
as thunderbolt OF debate but as u poInp-
Gus ass. An adoring family walls thst
instead of their young goddess they have
been given a picture Of Gibson girl and
magnates OF oil sorts hear with bewilder-
rnent the inferences as to their personal
characters which an enthusiastic public
draws from their counterfeit present.
ments. Mr.. lsham tells us that one
genial moralist has even had his faith in
Providence strengthened because certain
OF the great in this world. who seemed
beyond the reach Of human vengeance.
with no outside duress or intimidation.
have gone to Sargent and paid consider
able sums to have their likenesses given
to the world.
And in these pictures. even the most
terrible of them. thcro is not grain Of
| malice. Tho features are painted rs
dspassionately as the neektie or boots.
Nothing is caritatured or exaggerated.
but the people are alive and demand
our Judgment az real people. Nor is that
Judgment usually hostilc on the con-
trary. most Of tho portraits awake in us
conflicting but ON the whole fayorable
emotions. and there are many beautiful
women and high bred men whom it is Il
pleasure To have met.
At times the charm is strangely in
tense and personal. When some years
ago young girl died just rs she was on
the point of entering society there we're
hundreds who felt It az a private bereave-
ment Of their own. though they knew
her only as the little wistful child in the
portrait with the parrot. In fact almost
all Of his portraits of children are tender,
and the series Of them from the Reit
children in the hall With tho great blue
/ ana Willie VASES uOWIl 10 tlltN' VI tfe
present day IL Of wonderful and varied
charm. One suspects a special tenderness
toward them. hut even in the soft out
lines Of childhood there is vet the dis
elimination Of personal character. the
minute details that make the individual
different from all the rest of the world.
This display Of character is the intel.
lectual quality in SarGent's work to
to which all OF his technical attainmcnts
are subordinateti. When an artist has
mastered the meaning Of a face he may
try to paint it dispassionately and exactly
but the inner meaning will be more vivid
to the ordinary man in the picture than
in the flesh. and no one. not even the
greatest masters Of the past. has read
ordinary. everyday character as miDutely
and completely as Sargent.
He is not profound. He does not touch
on the eternal mysteries or try to lay bare
the soul. He is injurious as to whether his
sitters have souls or what will be their
future state; but as to this present COM
monplace world of business and pleasure
he is full of the most minute and valuable
information. He tells whether they are
pompous or cordial OF shy. il they have
TldVe uOC u btIlS6 Oh NulHOT NIetllef
they are nervous or stolid. sensible OF
eccentric. kindly or malicious. He
diagnoses their health. shows their Gle.
gree OF education. displays the style OF
their establishment and suggests ap.
Iproximately their annua! expenditure.
On these and on thousand other points
he il rarely at fault. and some of the de-
ductions drawn from his portraits by utter
strangers are amazing in their accuracy
His portraits Of public men are historical
documents as illuminative as the mos,
elaborate memoirs. and it IL not too much
to say that the political situation in Europe
would be clearer TO us to-day IL he hac
painted the Car; but no ruler by divin.
right has ever sat 10 him. wisely perhaps
from the point OF view of the ruler. for il
ia doubtful il the divine right would have
been made as prominent as the human