10 July—26 September 2010
Exhibitions - In The Sackler Wing of Galleries, Burlington House
Supported by Adelson Galleries, Inc, New York
American expatriate artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) is best known for his glamorous society portraits. Now, for the first time in Britain, 'Sargent and the Sea' presents more than 80 paintings, drawings and watercolours that reveal a less familiar side of the artist: the seascapes and coastal scenes subjects produced in his early career during summer journeys from Paris to Brittany, Normandy and Capri, as well as two transatlantic voyages.
John Singer Sargent, 'En Route pour la pêche (Setting Out to Fish)', 1878. Oil on canvas, 78.8 x 122.8 cm. Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund. Exhibition organised by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. in cooperation with the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, Christie's, The Mr & Mrs. Raymond J Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc, the National Endowment for the Arts, as part of 'American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius', and The Joseph F McCrindle Foundation.
Objects eligible for protection under Part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007
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Friends Reviews
I attended the superb exhibit at the Royal Academy of Art, “Sargent and the Sea.” John Singer Sargent is surely one of the greatest draughtsmen of all time — up there with Raphael and Ingres — in being to capture proportion and the feeling of what figures or things look like. This show gives plenty of opportunity to drool over his astonishing drawings, notably of sailors or proletariat figures doing their work around the sea.
In his letters at the show at the RAA in April, Van Gogh wrote of wrestling with the drawing of figures, much in the same way that another great painter did, Turner. With both these painters the glory of monumental landscapes whirls around the stilted inglorious shapes of humans. When I look at the simplest pencil sketch of a Sargent figure I see the work of an artist who intuitively understood, or was taught, about how the human beings exist unconsciously in space. Every Sargent drawing, whether it’s the hull of a fishing skiff or naval rope and tackle or a woman holding a baskets of oysters and looking out to see, evokes the essence of Eros; partly because everything he draws in some way so faithfully represents our knowledge of the thing in real life, but also because the product of his talent, graphite lines and shadings pushed around on paper, are so well-realized that I am at once astonished and attracted — like what happens in the presence of a truly beautiful thing — to the point of blushing.
And then there is his ability with oils and brush, another story altogether, much of the same. Though I’ve often wished he hadn’t spent so many years painting society folk commissions, I now see why he was so well suited to it, and leave us many great examples of portrait masterpieces: because of how he makes the attitude of person’s body come alive on the canvas.
One interesting biographical note about Sargent. His father, a doctor from Boston, decided at the age of 36 to take his family and up and live the cultured life in Europe. Young Sargent showed talent at a very early age (some of the drawings I speak of were made when he was 19 and 20) and was evidently encouraged in all corners. Let us praise the Sargents!
The brilliant, noble and generous effort that is the RAA Summer Exhibition, which I only had a few minutes to view, was inspiring as well; I’ll be returning to see both shows again as soon as I can.
A response from the RA to Nanette Wise's review:
A number of Sargent's works belong to public permanent collections in London, the most substantial holdings can be found at the Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum. By accessing the relevant museum's websites and using the 'search the collection' function you will be able to find out if the museums have these works currently on display.
I had only a short time to visit this lovely exhibition but I was overwhelmed with the feeling of the sea which permeated the Sackler Gallery. I only knew Sargent's portraits and here was a whole new aspect of his work. Can you tell us where in London any of these sea paintings are on permanent exhibition?
Last year I visited the major Sorolla exhibition at The Prado Museum, Madrid. There was a mutual respect between Sargeant and Sorolla from what I understand. The influence of which is very notable in both artists beach paintings featuring the figures of the children.
A response from the RA to Carole Tucker's review:
The reason the Venetian watercolours are not illustrated in the catalogue is that they were additional loans requested by the Royal Academy as a separate coda to the main body of the exhibition, which was curated by Sarah Cash of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. This touring exhibition appeared first in Washington, and then at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, before travelling to the Royal Academy. For this reason, the catalogue, produced in advance of the Washington exhibition, did not include illustrations of the London only loans.
Well curated and just the right length. I thought the audio guide was excellent and the progression throughout Sargent's career was captured well in the seascape. Made me want to go back to Capri!
This is a wonderful exhibition of a little known aspect of Sargent's art. Most of the work was painted when he was in his twenties and with his energetic loose brushwork and unconventional framing plus the subject matter often of working men and women, he stands comparison with the French impressionists of the day. The exhibition's coda was of his later Venetian paintings which completely avoids the conventional Venice views of many artists but, and, herein lies the rub, why oh why were none of these lively Venetian paintings illustrated in the catalogue? It is most unusual for an exhibition catalogue to omit a significant part of an exhibition's display. Can anyone explain this omission?
An elegantly curated, sensitive collection of works which captures the artist's love of the sea as well as the development of his technique. The sketches alongside completed works and and the comparison of those works to show how they were adapted to suit their audiences adds depth. Very enjoyable.
This was a breath of sea air as Sargeant's work seen before was rather over-tall imposing stiff portraits done in the studio. Here was a feast of sketches, watercolours and oils showing a fresh delight in the outdoors play of light on water, boats and people.
Several pictures had the studies alongside , showing how much work went into getting it right, while retaining the vision.
One quibble was the dim lighting of the whole gallery. I know watercolours need protection against glare, but surely they could be grouped in a dark corner and the bright sunlight allowed to show in the oils.
A splendid addition to the Summer Show.