Study Guide For John Singer Sargent
An internationally renowned portrait painter, John Singer Sargent also executed several mural commissions, including a cycle on the history of religion for the Boston Public Library (1890–1919). A popular society portraitist and landscape painter, John Singer Sargent was born in Florence to wealthy American parents. He studied painting in France,.
Estimate: $2,880 - $3,600 Description: Pencil on paper John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) 'Two Male Heads with French Sonnet'Signed and inscribed extensively in pencil center right 'John S. Sargent'Dimensions: 9 5/8 x 13 1/4 in. (24.4 x 33.6 cm.)Dimensions, framed: 16 x 19 1/2 x 1 in. (40.6 x 49.5 x 2.5 cm.)Provenance: M.R. Schweitzer Gallery, New York This rather simple and delicate sketch by John Singer Sargent is a window into the extraordinary talent for which the artist is known. His ability to illustrate the human form with modest lines, creating shadow and structure is the talent of a true draftsman. This work measures 9 5/8 x 13 1/4 inches and is signed 'John S.
Sargent' in the center right. The figure to the left is believed to be Nicola d'Inverno, Sargent's manservant.
The second figure has not been identified and below the figure on the right is an unidentified French sonnet. Glued to backing board along upper edge; 1/4' crease in upper center; slight mat burn visible in 1/8' margin along all edges; Inscribed in upper right; Crease in lower right corner. John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) John Singer Sargent was born in Florence, Italy in 1856. As a child he often traveled with his family throughout Europe gathering influences.
In 1870 he began at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence then later in 1874 was accepted to the Ecole des Beaux Arts, soon diverted to study in the atelier of Carolus Duran. Sargent was influenced by other portrait artists like Velasquez, James Whistler, and Edgar Degas. His most notable work, 'Portrait of Mme X,' was painted in 1884, his last year spent living in Paris. Throughout the remainder of his life, Sargent traveled between London and the US creating society portraits for notable figures. In 1998 the Tate Gallery in London held a retrospective of Sargent's portraits. Estimate: CAD20,000 - CAD30,000 Description: John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), American FRANCIS KORBAY, COMPOSER; Pencil drawing on paper mounted on blue card; signed lower right.
Executed in 1880. 11' x 8.25' - 27.9 x 21 cm.
Provenance: Purchased by the present Private Collection, Ontario from Sothbey's, London, circa 1985 Literature: This work is cited in and dated 1880 by The Hon. Sandra de Laszlo, Director & Editor of the de Laszlo Catalogue Raisonne, 'Laszlo, A Brush with Grandeur, Philip A. De Laszlo 1869-1937', p. Note: According to Sandra de Laszlo, Sargent drew this study and painted his canvas of the Hungarian composer Francis Andrew Korbay in 1880. Born in Budapest in 1846, the son of amateur musicians, he studied the piano and compositions with various masters under Mosonyi and Robert Volkmann. Korbay sang opera at the National Theatre of Budapest from 1865 to 1868.
Due to continued exertion on his voice, Korbay took to playing the piano. It was his arrangements of Hungarian national songs into English that made him reputable in England. He resided in London from 1894 where he became Knighted.
He was a professor of singing at the Royal Academy of Music from that year until his death in 1903. As Sandra de Laszlo states, 'Korbay possessed a most distinguished and attractive personality whose great charm and old-world chivalry and courtly gallantry attracted both Sargent and de Laszlo, both friends of the sitter to paint this most noted musician and composer.' Estimate: $4,500 - $7,500 Description: Graphite on paper, featuring portrait of a lady. Signed and attr.
Sargent (US, 1856-1925), signature under the portrait. 11.6 x 8.5 in. (29.5 x 21.5 cm). John Singer Sargent was the premiere portraitist of his generation, well-known for his depictions of high society figures in Paris, London, and New York. He updated a centuries-old tradition by using vibrant Impressionistic brushstrokes and untraditional compositional solutions in order to capture his sitters' character and even reputation. Condition Report: All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms: By Artist Name: In our opinion, the work is by the artist. Attributed to Artist Name: In our opinion, the work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.
In the manner of Artist Name: In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist. After Artist Name: In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist. Circle of Artist Name: In our opinion, a work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil. Follower of Artist Name: In our opinion, a work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil). American, 19th century: In our opinion, this work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period). Bears signature: In our opinion, the signature on the artwork may be spurious.
Apocryphal: Of doubtful authenticity. Estimate: $7,000 - $10,000 Description: ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN SINGER SARGENT (American, 1856-1925) STUDY OF A NUDE MALE charcoal on laid finish paper; bears watermarks Canson & Montgolfier Ingres France; pencil inscription 13.3.1, l.l.; sheet: 24 1/2 x 18 3/4 inches; framed: 29 x 23 inches Provenance: Richard Wight, Rockport, 1930 Other Notes: Bears Museum package removal label identifying the artist and owner. Condition Report: sheet has minor discoloration along edges, several pinholes; mounted at four corners; no tears, foxing. Estimate: $60,000 - $100,000 Description: JOHN SINGER SARGENT (American, 1856-1925) Two Heads of a Bearded Man (Study for Frieze of the Prophets, Boston Public Library) ca. 1891-92, oil on canvas estate stamp JSS, verso 23 1/4 x 34 1/4 in.; frame: 31 x 52 in. Provenance: - Estate of John Singer Sargent - Christie, Manson & Woods, Pictures and Water Colour Drawings by J.S.
Sargent, R.A., July 24-25, 1925, cat. Conway, Esq., 1925 - York City Art Gallery, April-May 1926 - Private Dealer - A Boston Gentleman Exhibitions: - Loan Exhibition of Works by the Late John.
Sargent, York City Art Gallery, England, March 31 - May 8, 1926. 21 - 25th Anniversary Exhibition: Paris International 1865-1945: An Exhibition Showing the Influence of Painting in Paris on European and American Artists, Maxwell Galleries Fine Painting, San Francisco, CA, October 8 - 30, 1965. 32 Literature: - Ormond, Richard, and Elaine Kilmurray, John Singer Sargent: Complete Paintings Vol. 9: Figures and Landscapes, 1914-1925, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998-2016. Olivier, Katherine, Preparatory Oil Sketches and Scale Models, in John Singer Sargent's 'Triumph of Religion' at the Boston Public Library, edited by Narayan Khandekar, Gianfranco Pocobene, and Kate Smith, Cambridge, MA: Harvard Art Museums, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009. 145-6, illus.
Mount, Charles Merrill, John Singer Sargent: A Biography, W.W. Norton, NY: 1955.
921 Other Notes: In 1890, Sargent was asked to create a program of murals for the Special Collections Hall of the Boston Public Library. The theme of the mural series was 'The Triumph of Religion,' to complement the Library's status as the city's 'shrine of letters.' This painting, an early oil study for the Library's 'Frieze of the Prophets,' gives the viewer insight into Sargent's artistic process, demonstrating how he used his strength as a portraitist to infuse a sense of humanity and emotion in the figures represented in the mural. Condition Report. Estimate: $200,000 - $300,000 Description: John Singer Sargent (American, b.1856-1925) 'Seated Draped Semi-Nude' Oil on Canvas Framed. 24 1/8' x 19 1/4' sight-size, signed lower right John S. 62.23 x 48.9 cm.
Comes with original wooden canvas-stretcher signed middle center John Singer Sargent. Bernard Rabin, painting conservator, examined and confirmed the authenticity of the painting as he has worked on several invaluable works of arts as mentioned in his resume.
He acknowledges that the signature on the painting is faint, and that it was commonpractice for artists of that era to sign their signatures on the canvas stretcher. Estimate: $200,000 - $300,000 Description: John Singer Sargent (American, b.1856-1925) 'Seated Draped Semi-Nude' Oil on Canvas Framed.
24 1/8' x 19 1/4' sight-size, signed lower right John S. 62.23 x 48.9 cm. Comes with original wooden canvas-stretcher signed middle center John Singer Sargent. Bernard Rabin, painting conservator, examined and confirmed the authenticity of the painting as he has worked on several invaluable works of arts as mentioned in his resume. He acknowledges that the signature on the painting is faint, and that it was commonpractice for artists of that era to sign their signatures on the canvas stretcher. Estimate: $2,500,000 - $3,500,000 Description: oil on canvas Condition Report: Please contact the American Art department for this condition report: (212) 606 7280 or americanart@sothebys.comIn response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above.
Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Estimate: $250,000 - $350,000 Description: watercolor and pencil on paper Condition Report: Please contact the American Art department for this condition report: (212) 606 7280 or americanart@sothebys.comIn response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report.
Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Estimate: $1,000 - $2,000 Description: John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) Study of a young boy. Signed lower right. Size: 16 x 14 in. One of America's most celebrated painters, his work is represented in major public collections in the United States, England, and beyond, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art; Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and London's Tate Gallery and Royal Portrait Gallery. Estimate: $50,000 - $100,000 Description: JOHN SINGER SARGENT (American, 1856-1925) Candelabra with Roses ca.
John Singer Sargent Facts
1885, oil on canvasboard 21 x 16 in., frame: 26 x 20 1/4 in. Provenance: Francis Davis Millet (1846-1912), artist and friend of Sargent; by descent in the Millet family. Literature: Ormond, Richard, and Elaine Kilmurray. John Singer Sargent: Complete Paintings.
9: Figures and Landscapes, 1914-1925, Appendix: Works Unrecorded in Volumes I-VIII. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998-2016. 278, 286; cat.
Other Notes: This striking oil of red roses in a silver jug nestled between two single stem candelabra has descended through the family of American artist Francis Davis Millet (1846-1912). Sargent, a friend of Millet and his wife Lily, spent time with the couple at Broadway in the Cotswolds in the summers of 1885 and 1885, and this work is thought to date from those years. The quick, broad brushstrokes of the deep blue background together with the areas of unpainted canvas create a sense of intimate urgency in the work, an urgency that is echoed by the off-center composition of the still life.
The painting relates in motif to several other Sargent works from the early to mid-1880s, including a number of studies of bright flowers and several oil sketches of silver household objects. Condition Report: Clear under UV examination; board slightly bowed; surface dirt and grime; small area (approx. 1/2 x 1/4 in.) of abraison below right arm of candelabra. Estimate: $25,000 - $45,000 Description: charcoal on paper Condition Report: The sheet is mounted to a board at the edges. The sheet is toned with scattered foxing in the background. There are tacking holes visible at the extreme edges. There is a ½ inch repaired tear at the lower left below the inscription and a 1 x ½ inch water stain at the lower right corner.
There is a band of white pigment, likely gouache, across the top edge and across the bottom below the inscription. There is a faint three-inch diagonal scratch in the center left background.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD 'AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Estimate: $50,000 - $100,000 Description: A portrait of Adolphe DeBary (1845-1928) DeBary was son of Samuel Frederick DeBary who made a vast fortune importing Mumms Champagne to the United States.
They later built a large estate in Flordia, which is now a national historic place and the town of DeBary is named for the family. The portrait has descended in the DeBary Family and has never been offered at auction. The portrait bears all the hallmarks of Sargent's best work, and is mentioned in family papers and a 1965 history as being created by him. It is executed in oil on canvas and measures 40 x 30'. It has been conserved and restretchered.
There are minor paint losses and some inpainting in the field. Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 Description: John Singer Sargent American, 1856-1925 Study for Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, a double-sided work, circa 1885-86 Inscribed J. 111 (ll) and See. (lr) Graphite pencil on paper 13 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches Provenance Estate of the Artist Thomas Fox. Boston, MA Robert Bahssin, Post Road Gallery, Antiques and Fine Art, Larchmont, NY Jill Newhouse Gallery, NY Private collection, MD Literature: Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray, John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1883-1899: The Complete Paintings, Volume V, pp.
126-7, illus. This sensitively realized double-sided drawing by John Singer Sargent depicting Marion Alice (Polly) and Dorothy (Dolly) Barnard is one of a handful of studies for his painting Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose that remains in private hands. Sargent undertook his ambitious project in the summer of 1885, while he was staying with the painter Frank Millet and his wife Lily in Broadway in the Cotswolds, recuperating from an injury incurred in a boating mishap.
Enchanted by the effect of Chinese lanterns hanging in trees surrounded by flowering lilies, he later described the scene to a friend, 'I am trying to paint a charming thing I saw the other evening. Two little girls in a garden at twilight lighting paper lanterns among the flowers from rose-tree to rose-tree. I shall be a long time about it if I don't give up in despair.'
John Singer Sargent to Edwin Russell, 10 September 1885, as quoted in Richard Ormond, Elaine Kilmurray, et al. John Singer Sargent, Volume V: Figures and Landscapes, 1883-1899: Complete Paintings, 2010, p. 120 In preparation for his composition, Sargent filled a sketchbook (Collection Fogg Art Museum; several loose sheets that are likely from the same volume are included in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art) with preparatory studies of the gardens, the lanterns amidst the flowers, and of the children themselves.
In the present work, the Barnard children, Polly age seven and Dolly age eleven, respectively, are depicted holding lanterns in poses very close to those in the finished painting. Sargent worked on the painting for two summers, completing it in October 1886 and exhibiting it at the Royal Academy in 1887, when it was acquired by purchase for the Tate Gallery, where it is a highlight of the permanent collection.
C Condition Report: Paper is inset into a paper surround that is lightly toned; traces of mulberry tissue are visible on the inside edge on the verso. Seven tiny scattered paint flecks, the largest 1/8 inch in diameter. 1/3 inch tear at lower right edge, approximately 1 3/4 inches from the lower right corner; a 1 inch irregular diagonal tear at the upper right edge, 3/4 inch from the upper right corner; a 1/4 inch tear at the upper left edge, approximately 2 1/2 inches from the upper left corner, and a possible repaired 1/4 inch tear at the left edge approximately 1 inch from the upper left corner. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Estimate: $100,000 - $200,000 Description: John Singer Sargent American, 1856-1925 Val D'Aosta: A Mountain Stream, circa 1907 Stamped with the artist's estate stamp JSS on the reverse Oil on canvas 17 1/8 x 21 1/4 inches Provenance: M.
Knoedler & Co., New York, no. 16308 Literature: Richard Ormand and Eileen Kilmartin, John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1900-1907, Complete Paintings, Volume VII, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012, no. 1409 (as untraced), illus. 296 Richard Ormond describes the present work, the location of which was unknown when his catalogue raisonne of Sargent's work was published, as 'a sketchy view of a stream, almost certainly the brook at Peuterey.
In common with his other studies of the brook, the artist allows no horizon line to interrupt his close-up view of stream and brook.' John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1900-1907, Complete Paintings, Volume VII, p. 296 From 1900 to 1907, John Singer Sargent traveled extensively, visiting the Middle East as well as numerous destinations in Europe that included Spain, Norway, and the Alps. Tiring of formal portraiture, he delighted in creating a virtual travelogue of paintings that documented his trips.
A visit to the Val D'Aosta in Italy, inspired numerous works in oil and watercolor, several depicting crystalline Alpine waters playing over rocks and forming eddies in pools. These compositions, freely painted with robust brushstrokes, some depicting the rushing waters at close range, are nearly modern in sensibility. Val D'Aosta, clearly inspired by this sojourn, shows Sargent at his most fluid, the composition rendered in a vibrant palette of plums, green and gold. C Property of a Palm Beach Lady Condition Report: Unlined.
Touches of inpaint at the upper and lower right, and the upper left, corner. A 1/4 inch are of inpaint in the upper right quadrant. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000 Description: JOHN SINGER SARGENT (american 1856-1925) PORTRAIT STUDY OF A LADY Inscribed and signed (in part) 'Pen and ink sketch by/John Sargent R.A. Done at/council meeting' ink on folded paper 7 3/8 x 4 3/8 in.
(18.7 x 11.1cm) Condition Report: Fine overall condition - executed on a sheet of paper that is folded roughly in half, with the drawing and the associated text on one side of the sheet. There are some visible but generally unobtrusive handling creases, mostly in the area with writing, rather than the section with the lady. On the verso, some of the ink has bled through and there are a couple of pale brownish spots on verso along the fold Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by Freeman's Conditions of Sale. Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 Description: JOHN SINGER SARGENT (american 1856-1925) PORTRAIT STUDY OF A GENTLEMAN Inscribed, signed and dated 'Sketched at a Council/meeting of the Royal/Academy by J.S.
Sargent/July 25th 1899/Seymour Lucas' upper right', with FIGURAL STUDIES verso, ink on folded paper 5 x 7 in. (12.7 x 20cm) Condition Report: Fine overall condition - executed on a sheet of paper with printed 'ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS / LONDON, W. / 18' letterhead. The sheet is folded into four even sections, with the drawing of the gentlemen and the associated text on the one side of the sheed, in two folded areas. Apart from some minor areas where small parts of drawings have bled through to some other parts of sheet and some unobtrusive, localized foxing spots, and some minor (soft) handling creases, this work is in generally fine condition, with no evidence of restoration. Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
John Singer Sargent Biography
Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by Freeman's Conditions of Sale. Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 Description: JOHN SINGER SARGENT (american 1856-1925) 'STUDY OF MARY TURNER AUSTIN' Inscribed 'Mary T. Austin/by/John Sargent' upper right and indistinctly inscribed '.aggs' upper left, pencil on paper 3 7/8 x 3 3/4 in. (9.8 x 9.5cm) provenance: Mark Borghi Fine Art Gallery, New York, New York.
Private Collection, Virginia. Condition Report: Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports.
The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by Freeman's Conditions of Sale.
Estimate: $50,000 - $80,000 Description: John Singer Sargent American, 1856-1925 Val D'Aosta: A Mountain Stream, circa 1907 Stamped with the artist's estate stamp JSS on the reverse Oil on canvas 17 1/8 x 21 1/4 inches Provenance: M. Knoedler & Co., New York, no. 16308 Literature: Richard Ormond and Eileen Kilmartin, John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1900-1907, Complete Paintings, Volume VII, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012, no. 1409 (as untraced), illus.
296 Richard Ormond describes the present work, the location of which was unknown when his catalogue raisonne of Sargent's work was published, as 'a sketchy view of a stream, almost certainly the brook at Peuterey. In common with his other studies of the brook, the artist allows no horizon line to interrupt his close-up view of stream and brook.' John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1900-1907, Complete Paintings, Volume VII, p. 296 From 1900 to 1907, John Singer Sargent traveled extensively, visiting the Middle East as well as numerous destinations in Europe that included Spain, Norway, and the Alps. Tiring of formal portraiture, he delighted in creating a virtual travelogue of paintings that documented his trips.
A visit to the Val D'Aosta in Italy inspired numerous works in oil and watercolor, several depicting crystalline Alpine waters playing over rocks and forming eddies in pools. These compositions, freely painted with robust brushstrokes, some depicting the rushing waters at close range, are nearly modern in sensibility.
Val D'Aosta, clearly inspired by this sojourn, shows Sargent at his most fluid, the composition rendered in a vibrant palette of plums, green and gold. C Property of a Palm Beach Lady Condition Report: Unlined. Touches of inpaint at the upper and lower right, and the upper left, corner. A 1/4 inch area of inpaint in the upper right quadrant.
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 Description: watercolor over traces of pencil with touches of gouache on paper, executed circa 1903-6 Condition Report: Watercolor over traces of pencil with touches of gouache on paper. Recto: In good condition aside from a small loss of sheet at lower center and very faint buckling to the sheet. Verso: Residue from prior hinging at upper and lower edges.The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only.
Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's.
Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.
An internationally renowned portrait painter, John Singer Sargent also executed several mural commissions, including a cycle on the history of religion for the Boston Public Library (1890–1919). Sargent traveled to Egypt in 1891 in search of source material and inspiration, painting this full-length figure study in a studio in Cairo. Instead of using the bravura painterly style that characterized his society portraits, Sargent returned to his academic training, carefully modeling the woman’s form and flesh tones. She assumes a complicated pose, placing her weight on her right foot while twisting her upper body to the left. Study from Life was widely exhibited, including at the Salon du Champs de Mars in Paris in 1892 and the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.