John Singer Sargent: His Portrait

by Stanley Olson

"This exemplary biography is manifestly fascinating." (Baltimore Sun) "[Olson has produced] an absorbing, detailed, comprehensive biography of this intriguing enigma of a man." (Library Journal) "Olson`s prose is a rich, almost Jamesian affair, ferociously literate, archly elliptical." (The New York Times) "Stanley Olson has written a superb account." (San Francisco Chronicle) "John Singer Sargent is one heck of a good book. Read it." (The Washington Times Magazine) "This biography conveys vividly and with considerable charm and wit a sense of the social world of the distinguished American portrait painter." (The Virginia Quarterly Review) "This biography rescues Sargent....from the shadows of his famous subjects." (United Press International) STANLEY OLSON, like Sargent, was an American expatriate; born in 1947 in Ohio, he lived in London from 1969 until his untimely death, from a stroke, in 1989. Scholar, writer, dandy, aesthete, gourmet, and impeccable host, he was a much-loved and admired member of London`s literary world. He authored Elinor A Life Apart and edited the abridged Harold Diaries & Letters 1930-1964.

Genres: Art, Biography, Cultural

Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Leftbanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exhaustive account of the life of the American artist and not particularly suited to anyone looking for a casual introduction to Sargent and his work. It took me forever to plow through this biography, not for any fault of the author, but because I had to stop every few pages and track down the historical references mentioned in the text. Maybe if I’d read this on a beach somewhere devoid of an internet connection, I could have rocked it out in a few days. I enjoyed all the detours.

…these two pictures also showed, despite John's reluctance to accept the fact, precisely where his true skill lay: his strength was portraiture. El ]aleo, for all its power to drum up excitement and spark intimidating claims, was a flawed performance. It had been conceived with a purpose. It had a job, an easy job, and the result was a shallow one….
…the picture was flawed by something John was powerless to overcome: he had little imagination.

Ouch! Not something normally said of someone considered to be a famous artist. Only a few pages later the biographer states:

These three portraits showed more than nimble versatility; they showed John's limitless capacity for originality.

In a bit of celebrity gossip:

Whistler had enough difficulty trying to take John's work seriously, but the fact that the stupid public loved it proved that he was pandering, unashamedly. John's admiration for Whistler's work, on the other hand, was considerable, but he was too shy to express it. While Whistler was dismissing John's portraits, John was steering collectors and patrons in Whistler's direction.

This sent me on a tangent to learn more about the bitchy James McNeill Whistler about whom I knew only one fact: he had a mother and that he painted her. I guess that's two facts. Now I know more.

In another tangent, I went off to learn more about Diego Velázquez, and from there I read a bit about the Alcazar palace in Madrid and the fire that destroyed it in 1734.

It’s like I’d fallen into a well of my own ignorance with no Lassie to pull me out. Instead, I screamed for Google.

[Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good workmanlike biography, I think he misses some critical aspects of Sargent, though extremely good on understanding his artistic technique. If you want to know how Sargent painted, where he bought his clothes, his notepaper, how poorly he rode (very) or how well he played the piano (very), this is the book for you. Some of the topics Olson emphasizes are odd choices, I would have liked more on the portraits than the endless discussion of the Boston murals. Additionally, Olson maddenly shies away from Sargent's sexuality and how this might inform an understanding of his work. There are some fairly obvious conclusions here, from which Olson averts his eyes. Finally, there was probably more depth to Sargent than the hale fellow well met skilled technician of Olson's biography. Discovering that person will be the task of a future biographer, for the time being, this is the best available.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man was a painting machine and according to his biographer had no imagination and little psychological insight into his subjects. He merely painted what he saw in front of him, so critics and the public have a tendency to over-interpret his work. You feel like he's a little disappointed he wasn't more experimental. The biographer also complains that Sargent had no intimate relationships to speak of, by which he apparently means sex life, because his account shows Sargent had a very active social life that included clients, other artists, writers, musicians, and immediate family.

[Lee Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read most of the books on Sargent and find John Singer Sargent: His Portrait by the late Stanley Olson, the finest. Olson presented the man in all his complex colors and did not attempt to psychoanalyze him as so many later biographers have. Olson's careful research and respect for this great man are obvious. As a student of Sargent, I cannot recommend this work highly enough.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serviceable biography of Sargeant. Ormond and Kilmurray have done well by his paintings but the definitive biography has yet to be written.

[Mary Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it. Very pedantic. I agree with the person who said the definitive bio has not been written.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good biography.