107 - Courtside 2 Queens - Sargent Room

John Singer Sargent, the son of an American doctor, was born in Florence in 1856. He studied painting in Italy and France and in 1884 caused a sensation at the Paris Salon with his painting of Madame Gautreau. Exhibited as Madame X, people complained that the painting was provocatively erotic. The scandal persuaded Sargent to move to England and over the next few years established himself as the country's leading portrait painter. He also completed portraits of two U.S. presidents: Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

 

During the greater part of Sargent's caree he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolours, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings. From 1907 on Sargent forsook portrait painting and focused on landscapes in his later years; he also sculpted later in life. In December 2004, "Group with Parasols" (pictured at right) sold for $23.5 million.  Learn more about the artist