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Portrait
of Claude Monet
John
Singer
Sargent
-- American painter
1889
National
Academy of
Design, NYC
Oil on
canvas
16
x
13
in.
Oil on
canvas, 16 x
13
NA
diploma
presentation,
October 25, 1897 (1123-P)
ANA
1891; NA
1897
Jpg: Erick
Weems
Though Sargent's
work was
increasingly
more and more about portraits, diverging substantially from the work
Monet
was doing, the two men retained a very close friendship.
A wounderful
account of
this was
written by Martin Birnbaum called "John Singer Sargent, A
Conversation
Piece." Many years later (maybe around 1901 when there was a lot of
Wetheimer portraits done) Monet and Sargent got together:
“Sargent never
surrounded
himself with an aura, and violently disliked a note of flattery which
he
could instantly detect. DeGlehn’s story of a visit to Sargent
with
Claude Monet bears this out. It seems that the two guests
remained
all day, lunching and dining with Sargent. Naturally they spent
part
of their time in their host’s studio, filled at the time with some of
the
sensational Wertheimer
portraits. DeGlehn was amazed that Monet hardly looked at
them
and he not only resented the Frenchman’s attitude but
mentioned the
matter
to Sargent. “But he hates this sort of painting” declared
Sargent,
to whom, however, Monet ever remained a great friend. [1]
* * *
This was Sargent's
diploma painting
which he submitted to the National Academy of Design, in New York, to
become
a full member. He was elected associate member (ANA) in 1891.
Notes:
1) “John Singer
Sargent,
A Conversation
Piece” By Martin Birnbaum, New York, Wm E. Rudge’s Sons,
1941,
80pp pp40-41.
I am so grateful to
Kathie Roskom
(see forum) for
sending
me this telling insight after finding it on her trip to the Frick
library.
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