Sargent and the Sea [Hardcover]

Sarah Cash (Author), Richard Ormond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

As a young man the American painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was passionate about the sea and deeply knowledgeable about ships and seafaring. Between the ages of 18 and 23 he started his career as a professional painter with a remarkable range of maritime works that form the subject of this exhibition and book. The key works are the two versions of the Oyster Gatherers of Cancale, painted in 1878 on the northern coast of Brittany in France, and the group of studies and sketches around them.

 

 The authors relate Sargent’s freely handled marine drawings, large and small, to his watercolors, oil sketches, and finished oil paintings of marine subjects. The works demonstrate his transition from a plein-air painter to a tonalist exploring interiors and urban scenes. Also presented is a unique scrapbook, held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, that includes more than 50 drawings and sketches, mostly of sea scenes, and postcards and commercial photography of works of art, architecture, and tourist views. This scrapbook provides an intimate glimpse at the thoughts and experiences of the young artist on his first European voyage.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Working your way through this revelatory catalogue and exhibition, you feel like a witness at the creation of a genius." —Bob Duggan, BigThink.com

(Bob Duggan BigThink.com )

"With brilliant and detailed illuminations, each of the five essays in Sargent and the Sea points to Sargent''s changing and various perspectives on the sea itself, on boats, and on maritime lives, perspectives which informed the intense early years of his life as a painter (1874-1879)."—Elizabeth Schultz, The Nautilus

(Elizabeth Schultz The Nautilus )

About the Author

Sarah Cash lives in Washington, D.C., and Richard Ormond lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; First Edition edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300143605
• ISBN-13: 978-0300143607
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why another Sargent book . . .?, October 19, 2009

By 

Parkermann347 (U.S.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sargent and the Sea (Hardcover)

Why should anyone buy this book? I have taken the chance on it and for the price, I feel like I got my money's worth. The reasons being:

There are around 40 different paintings and watercolors in the book, most by Sargent, and a handful by other artists that are quite beautiful.

The reproductions are done extremely well, and are full page size in many cases.

No black and white except for pencil drawings from Sargent's sketch books.

The paintings done by Sargent of different seascapes show how versatile he was as an artist. His portraits are magnificent, but he grew bored doing those exclusively and his seascapes show his amazing talent to capture the essence of a location.

Please consider this book even if you have a book on Sargent's works already. I can tell you that the reproductions of the paintings are sharper and more colorful than those in earlier volumes of his work. In addition, many are given full detail treatment so you can see them down to the brush strokes. I also enjoyed the 10 or so paintings by other artists of gorgeous seascapes that are from private collections and hard to find elsewhere.

All in all a great book at a great price. 4 stars because 5 is for something truly extraordinary, for example the Sargent Portrait series.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Sargent paintings, November 14, 2009

By 

Book Addict (Midwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sargent and the Sea (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful book. There are so many exquisite images of paintings which I have never seen before. It basically covers Sargent's early years. There is no doubt that this man was born gifted and fortunately, had the encouragement and determination to build upon his talent. An inspiration for all painters and art lovers alike.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas gift for my husband, January 10, 2010

By 

Lois W. Wiley "Lois booklover" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sargent and the Sea (Hardcover)

My husband loves Sargent portraits and was thrilled to receive this book. It is printed on heavy paper and is truly a coffee-table book. He will treasure it always.