Sargent’s troubles have been mostly posthumous. Critics lambaste him for being insufficiently modern; they also complain that he sucked up to wealthy idlers. But if we’ve learned the main lesson of modern art–it isn’t what you paint, but how you paint it–this Sargent show is a tonic. It’s filled with breathtaking bits of business, like the stroke that articulates a woman’s hand on a fan in ““Mrs. Carl Meyer and Her Children.’’ The moves are made with the fearlessness that only inborn talent can bring. Sargent knew what he did best, worked very hard at doing it and succeeded professionally. Nothing could be more American.
title: “A Yankee Portraitist In London” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Fern Surber”
Sargent’s troubles have been mostly posthumous. Critics lambaste him for being insufficiently modern; they also complain that he sucked up to wealthy idlers. But if we’ve learned the main lesson of modern art–it isn’t what you paint, but how you paint it–this Sargent show is a tonic. It’s filled with breathtaking bits of business, like the stroke that articulates a woman’s hand on a fan in “Mrs. Carl Meyer and Her Children.” The moves are made with the fearlessness that only inborn talent can bring. Sargent knew what he did best, worked very hard at doing it and succeeded professionally. Nothing could be more American.
