The most sought-after society portraitist of his time — as well as a highly accomplished painter of landscapes and genre scenes — John Singer Sargent was born in Florence, Italy, to well-to-do American parents. The French-trained Sargent depicted his sitters with a bravura brushstroke and a degree of originality that were highly progressive at the time. As a result, he enjoyed critical notice and important patronage, but also weathered some controversy.
Though Sargent spent most of his life abroad, his American ties brought him numerous portrait commissions as well as important commissions for the mural programs at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and the Boston Public Library.
Sargent's works, whether in oil, watercolor, or charcoal, are marked with naturalness and a distinct sense of immediacy due to his remarkable technical facility as an artist. Whether monumental portraits or casual outdoor scenes, his works possess a freshness and fluidity seldom matched in any era.
Sargent spent much of his free time painting and sketching outdoors, and his landscapes, architectural, and subject pictures — influenced by his friendship with Claude Monet and frequently executed in watercolor — depict the various locations he visited, including Italy, rural England, Giverny, the Mediterranean, northern Africa, and the Alps. The artist devoted a large portion of his late career to his mural projects, and also served as a war artist during World War I.
Find original John Singer Sargent drawings, paintings and other art on 1stDibs.
La Carmencita by John Singer Sargent
By John Singer Sargent
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Singer Sargent 1856-1925 American Stamped by artist's estate (en verso) Oil on canvas John Singer Sargent, widely regarded as one of history's most distinguished portraitists...
Canvas, Oil
$6,500
H 37.5 in W 32.5 in
"Portrait of Rebecca" Harriet Peale, Early American Female Portrait
By Harriet Cany Peale
Located in New York, NY
Harriet Peale Portrait of Rebecca, 1840 Inscribed verso, “Portrait of Rebecca Greenwood (?)/ Aged 25 years/ Painted by Harriet C. Cany/ May 1840” Oil on canvas 28 3/4 x 23 3/4 inches...
Canvas, Oil
$7,519
H 21 in W 18 in
La Couturiere - Academic Portrait Oil Painting by Tony Robert-Fleury
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed oil on canvas portrait circa 1890 by French academic painter Tony Robert-Fleury. The work depicts a young red-headed woman wearing in a white dress with blue trim. She is stti...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Woman in Traditional Dress and Lace Bonnet
Located in Genève, GE
A finely executed 19th-century portrait depicting a woman dressed in traditional regional attire. Presented against a dark background that emphasizes her calm expression and dignifie...
Canvas, Oil
$12,988
H 47 in W 53.5 in D 4 in
Portrait Of Jean Gerard Vonderbank & Family, Early 19th-Century Oil Painting
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This finely observed early 19th-century oil painting, attributed to German artist Carl Adolf Mende (1807-1857), depicts Jean Gerard Vonderbank, a German surveyor, instrument designer...
Canvas, Oil
$3,400
H 26 in W 17 in D 1.5 in
Untitled Portrait II (Modern, Academic Style Portrait Painting of a Young Man)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Modern, academic style portrait painting on canvas of a young athletic male oil on canvas, 26 x 17 inches in antique wood frame This vertical, contemporary portrait painting of sin...
Canvas, Oil
$169,000
H 34 in W 54 in
18th century diptych portraits man and woman American formal dress flower
By William Jennys
Located in Milwaukee, WI
The present pair of portraits would make an exceptional addition to any collection of early American art not only because they were painted by the notable William Jennys, but also because the sitters are members of notable and influential New England families. In addition, these pendants have impeccable provenance: they have never left ownership of the decedents of the Kimball family and this is the first time they have been available for purchase. David Kimball (1766-1848) and Nancy Stacy Kimball (1774-1844) were members of historic Massachusetts families. David Kimball is a sixth-generation decedent of Richard Kimball (d. 1675) and Ursula Scott (d. 1659), who emigrated from Rattlasden, Suffolk County, England to Watertown MA around 1634. The family then relocated in 1637 to Ipswich, the city with which the family is now most strongly identified, when Richard was appointed to be a wheelwright.[1] Nancy likewise had early New England ancestry, descended from Simon Stacy and Elizabeth Clark, who were married in London in 1620.[2] Nancy Stacy was the second wife of David Kimball, and the two were married in 1799. Given this, the present pendant portraits were likely completed shortly after the marriage. David had two children by his first wife Mary Morse, who died in September of 1798. David and Nancy would have nine additional children between 1801 and 1815.[3] Most notably, the couple were parents of the Boston politician and showman Moses Kimball (1809-1895).[2][3] Moses would found the Boston Museum, an early for-profit museum and theater opened in 1841 that resembled European curiosity cabinets: the museum displayed paintings of Thomas Scully and Charles Peale alongside Chinese artwork, stuffed animals, dwarves and mermaids. Alongside these exhibits, visitors could attend the theater which held performances by gymnasts and contortionists, followed by performances of Shakespeare and Dickens.[4] This museum set the model for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which when founded in 1870 held a similarly diverse collection and appealed to the interests of a diverse set of visitors.[5] Moreover, some Greek antiquities from Moses Kimball's museum were eventually given to the MFA and Moses donated approximately $5,000 to the MFA's endowment upon his death.[6][7] William Jennys (1774–1859), also known as J. William Jennys, is an important American primitive portrait...
Oil, Canvas
$3,500
H 26 in W 22 in D 1.5 in
Ready to Play (Academic Figurative Painting of Male Athlete by Mark Beard)
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative oil painting of a handsome football player against a country landscape 'Ready to Play', Painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant (pseudonym in homage to the...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
H 25 in Dm 21.5 in
"Portrait of Fanny Adam" Mary Jane Peale, Mid-19th Century, Early Portrait
Located in New York, NY
Mary Jane Peale Portrait of Fanny Adam, 1857 A scanned photograph of the back of the canvas taken prior to relining shows the inscription "Fanny Adam / painted by / Mary J. Peale / P...
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
H 34.5 in W 21.5 in
"Woman with Violets" Margaret Longstreith Baugh, Early Female American Artist
Located in New York, NY
Margaret Longstreith Baugh Woman with Violets, circa 1901 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 26 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches Provenance Walker-Cunningham Fine Art, St. Louis, Missouri, 2007 Pr...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Young Lady in Blue Empire Dress, 19th Century
Located in Genève, GE
Dimensions with frame: 43,5 x 38,5 x 8 cm. This refined oil portrait depicts a young woman presented in a graceful three-quarter pose, her soft gaze and subtle smile conveying both ...
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
H 91 in W 65 in D 3 in
Prosperous Family: Academic Figurative Painting by Mark Beard aka Bruce Sargeant
By Mark Beard
Located in Hudson, NY
Academic style figurative painting on canvas of a family and red tractor against a classic American farm field "Prosperous Family", painted by Mark Beard under his fictitious persona, Bruce Sargeant 84 x 58 inches unframed, 91 x 65 x 3 inches with a gold painted wood frame Excellent condition, ready to hang as is This Academic style figurative oil painting on canvas was painted by Mark Beard as Bruce Sargeant, a pseudonym in homage to the fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, and figurative painter, John Singer Sargeant. Here, the artist captures a blue collar American farming family in their field with an old red tractor. The man and woman stand stoically with their young child, dressed in simple white garments, perhaps to symbolize their purity. Rolling mountains...
Canvas, Oil
$5,500
H 36.5 in W 31.5 in
"Portrait of Arthur W. Smith, Esq. " James Carroll Beckwith, Society Portrait
By James Carroll Beckwith
Located in New York, NY
James Carroll Beckwith Portrait of Arthur W. Smith, Esq., 1909 Signed and dated upper left; signed, titled, and dated on the reverse Oil on canvas 30 x 25 inches Provenance Private ...
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Angela McInnes
By John Singer Sargent
Located in New Orleans, LA
John Singer Sargent was considered the leading portraitist of his generation, having painted the likes of Lady Evelyn Cavendish, Claude Monet, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Theodore Roos...
Paper, Charcoal