John Singer Sargent was born in Florence to American parents. He studied art throughout Europe, notably in London and Paris. He was considered to be the lead portrait painter of his generation. His portraits were both formal and informal, some not without controversy. His painting, El Jaleo (1882), sparked the interest of Isabella Stuart Gardner which led to a life long friendship between the two. After Isabella acquired the painting she reconstructed a room in her museum (Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, Boston) to highlight the work. Sargent painted roughly 900 oil paintings and over 2000 watercolors. Naturally, I am drawn to his watercolors. Because I cannot post all of them, I am posting two that show his versatility.
