John Singer Sargent

Welcome to “I am Jenny” Your Guide to Visual Art, where you can find out about artists and art movements. John Singer Sargent created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings. His oeuvre documents worldwide travel, from Venice to the Tyrol, Corfu, the Middle East, Montana, Maine, and Florida. He enjoyed international acclaim as a portrait painter. Born in Florence to American parents, he was trained in Paris before moving to London, living most of his life in Europe. He lived from January 12th, 1856 to April 14th, 1925. He was an American expatriate artist, considered the “leading portrait painter of his generation“ for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. After securing a commission through the negotiations he carried out, Sargent would visit the client’s home to see where the painting was to hang. He would often review a client’s wardrobe to pick suitable attire. Some portraits were done in the client’s home, but more often in his studio, which was well-stocked with furniture and background materials he chose to create a proper effect. John Singer Sargent died on April 14th, 1925, at the age of 69 in London, England. The cause of death was cardiovascular disease.