John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist [Hardcover]

Trevor Fairbrother (Author), John Singer Sargent (Painter)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2000

The art of John Singer Sargent is sensual in its evocation of textures, atmosphere, body gestures and light. Trevor Fairbrother argues that viewing the artist as a sensualist connects otherwise conflicting elements of his oeuvre and offers a new interpretation of his life and work.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

One of the most beloved American painters, Sargent (1856-1925) is lately undergoing critical reevaluation. Fairbrother concentrates on the quality in his work that, more than any other, appeals most powerfully to most viewers. Sargent was, museum official Mimi Gardner Gates says in the foreword, "a reserved person who made exuberant art." Essential to that exuberance is the keen attractiveness of the figures, male and female, clothed and nude, in his work. If they aren't all necessarily sexy, those that could be--robust adults--virtually always are, and few fail to evoke the desire to touch, even to caress, them. Fairbrother presents a ravishing selection of Sargent's paintings and graphic art as he explores the personal sources of the sensuousness of Sargent's work and the techniques he used to achieve it. An album of Sargent's male figure studies, printed on cream-colored stock, fetchingly concludes the book. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Inside Flap

The art of John Singer Sargent is extraordinarily sensual in its evocation of textures, atmosphere, body gestures, and light. In this beautiful book, Trevor Fairbrother argues that viewing the artist as a sensualist connects otherwise conflicting elements of his oeuvre and offers a new interpretation of his life and work. Fairbrother discusses the complex currents in Sargent's life, analyzes how these shaped his work, and shows how his skills as a draftsman formed the foundation for his rapid, broadly brushed painting style. The book is lavishly illustrated with numerous examples of Sargent's oils, watercolors, and sketches-in particular his portraits and studies of models and dancers- that amply demonstrate the sensual aspect of his art. Fairbrother describes how Sargent used incidental details to arouse visual shock and to delight his audience, pointing to such works as the portraits of London art dealer Asher Wertheimer and his family, as well as to the notorious Madame X, which created a furor at the 1884 Paris Salon. Fairbrother also gives special attention to a little-known series of expressive charcoal drawings of male nudes in Sargent's "Album of Figure Studies." All thirty-one sheets from this album are published together in color for the first time in this new study. In addition, Fairbrother addresses Venetian, Moroccan, and other exotic vignettes that show Sargent's fascination with dramatics of light, personalities, and locale.This book accompanies an exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum that runs from December 2000 to March 2001.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1st edition (October 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300087446
• ISBN-13: 978-0300087444
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #799,761 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a sensual book..., November 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book for any lover of Sargent's work. I have quite a few monographs on Sargent, and this one contains work which I have not seen before. It focuses on every aspect of his ouvre, from portraits, landscapes, genre, and figurative studies. Not only do the selected works represent the sensuality that eminates from Sargent's hand and mind, but the layout of the actual book reflects this also. The last section of the book is devoted to some of his male figure charcoal studies, which are incredibly inspiring. They are printed on laid paper (different from the rest of the book), and have a beautiful quality to them. Most of them are even different drawings than those reproduced in the "Sargent: Male Nudes" book. This is very refreshing to see, as the drawings bring us right into the studio with Sargent, almost looking over his shoulder while he renders the figure with unwavering power and finesse....

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fleshing out John Singer Sargent, February 12, 2003

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist (Hardcover)

The current re-evaluation of the contributions of John Singer Sargent to the art of the USA, as indicated by the impressive exhibition "Sargent And Italy" currently in Los Angeles, the steady flow of new books about his work, and the academic resurgence of emphasis on his importance in American art at the turn of the last century - this re-evaluation has been truly underscored by this very fine book by Trevor Fairbrother. Written with great style and zest, the author explores the sensual nature of an artist once considered a 'society portraitist', a good painter but one more concerned with reaping the wealth from his gifts than in painting for art's sake. Well, bury that prejudice, as Fairbrother reveals Sargent's preoccupation with the human body, not only elegantly clothed but sensually nude. A fine example is "Nude Study of Thomas E. McKellar" in which Sargent paints his favorite African American model in a beautifully erotic pose.

But the sensuality does not stop with the plethora of nude figure studies. Indeed, the author demonstrates how Sargent's compositions of landscapes and buildings as well as outdor and indoor groups of people are rendered with a sensual manipulation of light and pigment. And much time and discussion focuses on the famous painting 'El Jaleo' of a flamenco dancer barely visible in the artificial light of the stage, making her sensual movements of the hands and wrists ring like the music accompanying her.

This well written book is lavishly illustrated with excellent color reproductions and gifts us with a significant body of work at book's end - a folio of male nudes called "Album of Figure Studies" which alone is worth the price of this superb volume.
Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Collection of Paintings and Sketches, August 5, 2005

By 

J. Sapulich - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist (Hardcover)

The reproductions of Mr. Singer's drawings are worth the price alone. A wonderful collection of work which needs to be in the library of all serious artists. The main thought of the text, however, makes an issue of Mr. Sargent's personal life regarding his sexual orientation which as depicted in this book may or may not be accurate. It saddens me when an author speaks in great authority on deeply personal areas of a celebrity when they never met the person and do not know if their theories are accurate.

Other than that, there is a great deal of valuable information in the text which is very interesting in regards to giving insight into the history involving many of Mr. Sargent's paintings. The reproductions are very well done and the tonal studies in the back of the book are master courses on human form, anatomical structure, body movement and emotional impact.

I highly recommend this collection of reproductions and must say the price is insignificant compared to the wealth of art inside. If you sketch his tonal drawings in your own hand, you will learn a great deal and open yourself to a new realm of artistic achievement. Mr. Sargent continues to earn respect for his artistic achievements which very few have attained.