The Jewish Museum New York
October 1999 - February 6, 2000

New Orleans Museum of Art
March 4 - May 21, 2000

Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
July 11 - October 29, 2000

Overview
 

(See the Wertheimer paintings)

From October 17, 1999 through February 6, 2000, The Jewish Museum will exhibit a group of portraits of the London art dealer Asher Wertheimer and his family painted between 1898 and 1908 by the renowned American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). The length of time Sargent devoted to this commission and the number of portraits that resulted are unprecedented in his oeuvre. John Singer Sargent: Portraits of the Wertheimer Family will mark the first time these twelve paintings have been exhibited together since they hung in the family's London residence more than seventy-five years ago. A watercolor and a drawing by Sargent, as well as photographs and the Wertheimer painted genealogy, will also be included. The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue will provide a rare opportunity to investigate the artistic and cultural context of Sargent's portraits by examining the history and critical reception of this extensive commission, the artist's relationship with the Wertheimer family, and recent art historical analysis of the works. Examined in these contexts, Sargent's elegant, evocative and extravagant portraits of the Wertheimer family tell the viewer as much about the artist and the London society that received them as they do about his subjects. Following its New York showing, the exhibition will travel . . .  (see schedual above) 

Catalouge

The exhibition has been organized by Norman L. Kleeblatt, Susan and Elihu Rose Curator of Fine Arts at The Jewish Museum. Michelle Lapine is Assistant Curator for the exhibition.

A 120 page catalogue, published by The Jewish Museum, New York and edited by Mr. Kleeblatt, focuses on the Wertheimer portraits and includes 12 color images. It will be available in the Museum's Cooper Shop for $19.95 paperback. The book features an introduction by Norman L. Kleeblatt and includes essays by Kathleen Adler, Head of Education, the National Gallery, London; Trevor Fairbrother, Deputy Director/John and Mary Shirley Curator of Modern Art, Seattle Art Museum and a Sargent scholar; and Michelle Lapine. Allan Gurganus, author of the novel, The Oldest Living Confederate War Widow Tells All, is represented by half of his novella, The Practical Heart, a fictional account of a young woman's obsession with sitting for Sargent.

John Singer Sargent: Portraits of the Wertheimer Family is made possible by generous support from the State of New York; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; Betty and John Levin; The Morris S. and Florence H. Bender Foundation; and the David Schwartz Foundation.
(The Jewish Museum 10/7/99)

* The Seattle Museum is curated by Trevor Fairbrother, author of John Singer Sargent, 1994. The show will be expanded to include additional 30 male nudes, 30 watercolors from JSS travels and some 20 additional oils portraits and others sketches. The Seattle show is advertised as a smaller west coast version of the Major Retrospective.

John Singer Sargent:  Beyond the Portrait Studio, Paintings and Drawings from the Collection of the Met

Schedule

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 
New York
June 6, 2000–September 10, 2000

Some 100 paintings and drawings selected from the Museum's extensive holdings will illuminate episodes in Sargent's career as he studied and sought inspiration outside the confines of the portrait studio in the Near East, North Africa, Venice, the Italian Alps, the U.S., and on the western front during WWI.

Further Info

Callender of Events  (click Special Exhibitions)

Direct Link

• Reviews of Sargent and Italy
• Reviews of Sargent's Women

Wow, It is great pleasure to see sargent''s Art on the web.

I have seen an exhibition of his paintings at Chicago''s Art institute back in 1985/86  I was" bowled over" by his use of light to sculpt his subjects. Could you please tell me where the largest collection of his work is exhibited? Again thank very much for providing such a beautiful and informative site  !!!

From: Natasha
Updated: 11/11/2003

Check Special Exhibitions

If there isn't a current show running on Sargent's art then the question is a bit difficult to answer.

The museums with the largest holdings of his art (off the top of my head) would be roughly in this order:

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Fogg Art Museum (Harvard)
Tate Gallery, London
The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC 
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

For watercolors:

Brooklyn Museum in NY
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The problem though is all of these rarely show more than just a few of his paintings at any given time and they rotate them often -- especially when it comes to his watercolors. Issues of fragility of paper and  color fading under light being a main reason his watercolors are rarely shown in any number outside special exhibits.

I'm afraid, in person, you have to see his work in piecemeal.

From: Bob Sheridan
bob she ridan@earthlink.net
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004

It might be of interest to some that the MFA Boston keeps its JSS watercolors under lock and key, not on display.

Visitors wishing to view them must make an appointment at least a day or TWO in advance by calling the desk and transferring to the person in charge of viewing JSS watercolors. This info [however] was the result of personal disappointment when I visited Boston 1 1/2 years ago. Perhaps visitors should be tipped off simply to call the MFA before making their trip.