Musée No:583.165
Regular price £25.00Flora Priestley (Lamplight Study)
Artist: John Singer Sargent
Date : ca 1889
John Singer Sargent, (1856 – 1925), was an American expatriate artist considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He painted nearly a thousand oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolours, as well as sketches and charcoal drawings. His works show worldwide travel, from Venice to the Tyrol, Corfu, the Middle East, Montana, Maine, and Florida.
Sargent's early enthusiasm was for landscapes, as shown by his numerous sketches of mountains, seascapes, and buildings. In 1879 he was a part of Carolus-Duran’s atelier in Paris where he painted a portrait of his teacher to much acclaim. Carolus-Duran's expertise in portraiture finally influenced Sargent in that direction. His best portraits reveal the individuality and personality of the sitters; his most ardent admirers think he is matched in this only by Velázquez.
The Sitter : Flora Priestley (1859-1944) was a childhood friend of John Singer Sargent from their days in Nice, France and was one of his favourite models. He painted her until the mid-1930s. She was described as a’ beautiful, free and creative woman’ and he especially liked the strong contrast between her rich black hair and pale complexion. There is a rumour that there was a romance between the two.
