Customer Reviews

Sargent Abroad: Figures and Landscapes

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For a grand tour of Sargent landscapes, this is one of my favorite books. I'm a Sargent fan, with many books on Sargent, and if I had to take just two or three to a desert isle, this would be one of them.
(Another is "Sargent and Italy", at least for Italy.) Many books have been written about Sargent over the last almost century and a few of them have been produced sort of "hurriedly" to put it kindly. Perhaps holiday shopping quickies. In contrast this book is first class, one of the very best. The manufacturing is first rate. Good reproductions. Sturdy binding.
This is a great book, both for simply its sheer, naive viewing pleasure as well as for its scholarly text, putting the images in informative context. Both a beautiful coffee-table picture book and a good textbook on Sargent.

An aside... in 2003, while painting in the gardens of the Duke's palace in Trieste, I made the acquaintance of two Italian ladies who also were painting. I spoke no Italian; they spoke no English. Somehow over the easels, the pantomined conversation got around to Sargent. Perhaps because we were all three painting together in an Italian garden? Turns out, all three of us, each had recently purchased a copy of "Sargent And Italy". Of course we had; it just made a lot of sense. I wish I spoke Italian; I should have asked if they also had "Sargent Abroad."

About 10 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches. From Abbeville Press, producers of excellent book on art. 254 pages. Organization is, roughly, seven chapters with titles like "Venice", "In the Alps.":, etc. These chapters are long essays by well-known and distinguished Sargent scholars, such as Richard Ormond, Sargent's grand-nephew. Includes an edifying appendix "Chronology of Travels". Also a subject index, but not a separate index to the very many good color images. Many B&W photos, not of Sargent's work, but of related scenes, e.g. Sargent and friends in the Alps. (For example, some photos show one about Sargent's circa 1900 Alpine haunts in company with reproductions of work produced there.)
An excellent book about a rather singular aspect of an outstanding artist. Highly recommended!

Unlike the other reviewers I don't care much for this book on Sargent. Perhaps it's because I only bought the book for the illustrations and could care less for the text and essays. That said, it's a large thick book with a fair number of illustrations, but most are smaller in size and I'm very disappointed with the paintings represented. With regard to size, quality, and selection of illustrations I'm far happier with the book by Kate F. Jennings ( ISBN 1572153415 ).

Excellent selection of Sargent's paintings, focusing on the looser, more private paintings instead of his formal oil portraits. Beautiful watercolors I've never seen in another book!

These are some of Sargent's most beautiful compositions and color galore. He was an amazing portrait artists and still, these landscapes are out of this world. His command of the painting media was genius........sheer genius. You'll love the beauty of these pictures. The more Sargent I see.......the more I have to rub my eyes to be sure anyone could be that good.