
Musée No:206.003
Regular price £25.00Carolus Duran
Artist: John Singer Sargent
Date: 1879
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 : Carolus Duran was one of the most famous portrait painters working in Paris in the 1870s. This shows him as a very dapper man about town and the red lapel badge is the French "Legion d'Honneur", awarded to him for his contributions to the arts. Singer Sargent was a part of his studio of artists - this portrait helped to launch his successful career and the inscription at the top says " to my dear Master Carolus Duran from his affectionate student. JSS"Image courtesy Clark Art Institute. clarkart.edu