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Sargent was born in Florence, to American parents and his childhood was spent moving around Europe. He studied in Paris, where he achieved great popularity and recognition.
In 1915 he painted Portrait of Madame X, a provocative and sensual portrait that caused such a scandal in Parisian society that his commissions suffered a result, and he was forced to move to London, where he soon earned the admiration of clients and critics alike, the latter calling him “The Van Dyck of our age”.
He made frequent visits to the USA, where he also received many commissions. One of his most well-known works in America is the decoration of Boston Public Library.
Sargent has left us a collection of portraits that feature precise draughtsmanship, beautiful colour and the elegance that emanates from the sitters he portrayed.
His pictures are usually large paintings like this one, in which we can see how his style typically featured full-length figures in a natural setting, with strikingly beautiful colours. See how the intense greens of the dress blend with the garden in the background, and how he has captured the nature of the Duchess: slim, elegant and proud. Millicent Saint Clair was one of the most intelligent and progressive women in London society at the time. She received the French Croix de Guerre for her work for the Red Cross as a nurse during the First World War.
(c) (R) 2013, MUSMon com S.L.
Text (a) Catalina Serrano Romero
Picture
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Author: Thyra
Permission: This artwork is in the public domain: The author of this artwork died more than 70 years ago. According to E.U. Copyright Law, copyright expires 70 years after the author's death. In other countries, legislation may differ.
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