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From: Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums [Sargent] makes no
attempt to sentimentalise
the scene - to draw out the viewer's sympathy with the ox or to capture
its character. Instead he suggests its power and energy by painting a
compact
scene. Only half of the ox is visible, so that its head and horns seem
enormous when set against the much slighter figures of the blacksmith's
boys. The power of the ox is as a coiled spring - latent but
nevertheless
clear to see. The light is subdued, capturing outlines and silhouettes,
and further emphasises the dramatic qualities of the scene - there is a
theatrical quality to this simple rustic occasion, Sargent's technical
mastery as clearly on view here as in any of his more famous portraits.
Note:
Exhibitions Great Expectations: John Singer Sargent Painting Children; 2004-2005
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