John Singer Sargent (Library of American Art)

Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism

John Singer Sargent (Library of American Art) Details

From Library Journal Considered one of the brilliant portraitists of his age, Sargent has remained an enigmatic figure. An American expatriate initially welcomed by critics as a modern heir to Velazquez, he was attacked during the Depression by the likes of E.M. Forster and Lewis Mumford; in the 1960s, his reputation was resuscitated with the benefit of praise by, of all people, Andy Warhol. Fairbrother, Beal Curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, admirably handles Sargent's complex background, including his New England Puritan heritage, his wealth and fame in Europe, and his conflicted sexuality. Careful not to focus too much on either praise or scorn, Fairbrother characterizes the range of Sargent's work as "massive, diverse, and uneven." For a good biography, see Stanley Olson's John Singer Sargent, His Portrait (St. Martin's, 1986). A wonderful entry in the much praised "Library of American Art" series, this is highly recommended for all libraries.Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Amherst, Mass.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more

Reviews

Beautiful book adding new insight into the personality of Mr. Sargent. Pictures are beautiful, however I would have liked more pictures.

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