Musée No:583.174
Regular price £25.00Elsie Wagg
Artist: John Singer Sargent
Date : Circa 1893
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 : Elsie Wagg (1876–1949) was an English philanthropist. She is credited with creating the idea of opening gardens for charity, and co-founded the National Garden Scheme. The funds raised went to what is now known as the Queen’s Nursing Institute. In their first year, 1927, 609 gardens, including Sandringham, were opened to the public and they raised the equivalent of £450,000 in todays money.
