Sargent was absolutely a virtuoso. A friend once described him as having the visual equivalent of perfect pitch: he seems always to put the right color/stroke/form in the right place. His understanding of light was amazing. His watercolors make this even more obvious, as the medium is pretty unforgiving and his best show total confidence.
Spent a “quarter abroad” in London in 1979. This was my favorite painting of all my visits to galleries; I think I stared at it for over half an hour the first time, and went back to see it on several other occasions. This was wonderful to watch-thank you!
I have a high-resolution image of this painting on my computer and look at it from time to time for its lighting effects and for the masterful efficiency of the brushstrokes, which is a hallmark of all Sargent paintings. For me this painting sits just on the edge of Impressionism and Realism. Didn't know it is such a large painting. Sargent is one of my favorite artists and one of the greatest artist who ever lived.
This is one of those paintings that you need to see in the flesh to get the most from, it's a great painting looking at a photo, but the lighting and colours of the original are the most life-like I've ever seen. It's almost supernatural.
Definitely the painting that made me fall in love with Sargent when I saw it at the Tate, reproduction does it no justice, it is luminous when you see it in person.
I visited the Tate in 2014 and didn't know about this painting. 'Missed the opportunity to see it, but I'm seeing it now. I only discovered Sargent a couple of years ago when I took up painting myself. What a pure piece of poetry it is.
@@zaidshah4535 Yes; that is, I'm 'still learning' to paint, but have hung a few paintings around the house that I'm pleased with at my level. It's an intriguing pastime. :)
I don't know much about history of art, and I decided recently that I would find my "favorite painting". This is the one. It caught my attention right away among others, and the process and struggle behind it makes me like it even more. Now I have a piece of art in my heart, and I'll never forget the name of John Singer Sargent.
One of my favourite paintngs of all time. I am blown away by the emotive aspects of the piece and of course by the plays of light and luminosity. I am an artist, in that I have a degree blah blah blah.. but I have zero talent when I look at the masters, lol. There is no way I could recreate those two little girls, the quiet contemplative look on their faces and the folds of their beautiful dresses and the light hitting it by MEMORY! That to me is almost supernatural. 😊
"People keep asking where it is." Yes that is probably me. I make a point of viewing the painting everytime I come to Tate Britain. It has very strong personal meaning for me. A beautiful painting.
Jason Chambers Several years ago there was a Sargent exhibit at the Clark Museum here in Massachusetts. I went many times and stood in awe before the paintings, this being one of them. I don’t think I ever got more of a thrill out of any other exhibit!
This painting hung in my town gallery in Sheffield for a while. I was then about 13 years old. I was obsessed with this painting and used to regularly to study it. It really is amazing.
Plein air gives absolutely special feeling to the pictures. And to the artists, whyle they are working. And it is impossible not to use absolutely, when you talk about Singer Sargent.
What delight. I can’t wait to come back to London to see this lovely painting again see it new light. So expertly and beautifully narrated. Very enlightening and enjoyable
I’ve long been a fan of Sargent & visited the major exhibition of his work , at the National Portrait Gallery, in the 1970’s/early ‘80’s….. I bought the catalogue & familiarized myself with some of the portraits & the sitters. It was very gratifying to find that when I relocated to live in France, I found that one of those sitters, who was obviously a Doctor of some renown, had a major road & hospital, in my vicinity, named after him. I salute, Docteur Samuel Pozzi ! 😊
Lovely short. No credit is given for the music. I love the way the music comes in and goes out, like emerging out of and receding into some sort of dense medium; this mimicks how light changes in twilight. Who did the music?
I have been a fan of this since I stumbled across a Sargent exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. I didn’t know him, but was impressed by how long the line was. I stood in line for over an hour, and was richly rewarded for it. This was one of my favorite pieces, and I even bought one exhibition poster with it on it. So wonderful to learn more about the painting and Sargent’s process.
First an illustrator for almost 30 years, now a gallery painter, this painting holds the power to change any artist. I'm astonished to learn that Sargent painted this en plein air! What endears me most to this story, that it describes Sargent's "moment" seeing the lamps that let to one of his most famous works. As true for an artist today as it was then, and has always been.
I can’t afford visiting so I’m painting one for myself. It’s very hard but the fencing metaphor helped me immensely I was having a hard time painting the foliage to the right and I stepped back and did my fencing move and suddenly got it.
Wonderful. Really enjoyed this. A true treasure, I adore this painting. I think it's one of the most beautiful and important paintings of all time. The subject in the most basic way of viewing it may look very superficial or chocolate box for want of a better way of putting it. But it is much more than that. Although having said that I must say that Im of the opinion that beauty should be justification enough, and this is undoubtedly beautiful.
I wish the video had got even deeper into analysing details of the wonderfull painting - it truly is a painting that I could look at for ever. The brushstrokes and the color seem to be intertwining into true magic of the mystery of the poetics of the now
Of course to look at it in reality can never be compaired to looking at it in a film or a reproduction, but it can give a lot of pleasure to be able to share it in this way - and hopefully inspire to visit it in reality if possible
Very good film, explained some things that I was unaware of……I had always assumed that he made sketches & put the composition together in the studio…In terms of his painting skills , he’s a ‘virtuoso ‘, of that there is no doubt. 👌
As an amateur watercolorist who loves to paint Calla Lilies, it is noticeable to me that white “color” in watercolor is a tricky proposition. This painting has a lot of white to it; very challenging.
I look at the hand that is commented on as motioned blurred. I work in Visual effects and so if feels like the the sense of a camera that captures elements of a motion blur which can produce some interesting natural elements.
Beautiful painting but I feel this video was not really about his painting technique or material choices such as ground choice, any mediums he was using, was the paint dry to the touch relatively quickly, or was it wet for days. I think they could have gone into his techniques rather then going so much into anecdotal art historical theories.
This was great, thanks! But I'm a little confused...could someone answer a question for me? I was under the impression that JSS was born to American parents (in Italy) and studied in Paris. In the video, it is stated that he was an English impressionist. Is my information wrong? Or do I just not understand how artists are claimed?
I think he's considered an American because his parents were Americans. Certainly, he mostly lived overseas, though (like you) I didn't realize that the Brits claimed him as a "British" Impressionist (though he was buried in England).
@@kenc2257 Well it only took the internet 6 months to answer this for me! Thanks for picking up the slack. I think radio silence is answer enough for both of us. So... does this mean we can have The Beetles?😁
You're right, it should have noted he was an American. He worked and lived mostly in Britain, however, where he was a contemporary and friend of that other great American painter, Whistler.
I was immensely fortunate to have seen this iconic painting by Sargent at Tate, it's undoubtedly one of my most memorable experiences of my visits London. I'm a great admirer of John Singer Sargent and I truly enjoyed this Video ! I'd like to thank Rebecca Hellen, Tate Paintings Conservator and Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, Assistant Curator and responsible for Sargent's works at Tate.
Like all art critics and curators. They Ass ume everything. Andrew wyeth said stop listening to those who guess and don’t do. We paint because we have to not at the whims of art critics.....
I have seen this painting in person and what impressed and surprised me is how vibrant the colours are in real life. In reproductions and videos, they never reproduce the vibrancy of this piece.
I have a notecard from The Tate Gallery stuck on my bedroom mirror of this & only just noticed that it had been severely cropped at the left leaving out the three lanterns. Such a desecration...I loath when museums do this. I wonder how the artist would feel.?
@TheMintyMelon - Are you sure that's not the notecard image that is cropped? The painting itself was cropped by Sargent himself before he completed it. From the catalog description --- ------------ "Canvas, 68 1/2×60 1/2 (174×154); a 3/4 (2) wide painted strip turned over along top and left edges." .....And.... "...Edwin Howland Blashfield, one of the group of artists working at Broadway in 1885, recalled that when he saw the canvas each morning it appeared to have been scraped down so that all the previous night's work was erased, and that this happened again and again. Furthermore, Sargent reduced the canvas by 2 ft. cut from the left, leaving it approximately square, and thereby concentrated the composition which until then had dissatisfied him." - www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sargent-carnation-lily-lily-rose-n01615
Thanks for this terrific insight. Truly fascinating. Question: what is the painting we can see to the right and behind the Sargent painting after the 5min mark? It has a Goya-esque look to it.
Do not call him an English Painter. This is a glaring inaccuracy and now makes me wonder about all the information shared by the Tate. On your own website you state "He remained an American citizen throughout his life." Sargent was technically an American expatriate. He lived in London part of the time, but also in Italy, France, Spain and the Middle East along with the US. It's true he was very involved in the English Art community. But he was not an "English Painter". I think he was more a citizen of the world of the Upper classes. Still the explanation of the process of the painting is really interesting. Thank you for this.
Sargent was absolutely a virtuoso. A friend once described him as having the visual equivalent of perfect pitch: he seems always to put the right color/stroke/form in the right place. His understanding of light was amazing. His watercolors make this even more obvious, as the medium is pretty unforgiving and his best show total confidence.
he was one helluva painter
I never ever tire of Singer Sargent.
Spent a “quarter abroad” in London in 1979. This was my favorite painting of all my visits to galleries; I think I stared at it for over half an hour the first time, and went back to see it on several other occasions. This was wonderful to watch-thank you!
how is it there generally? is it usually crowded around the painting? can you get close? i’ve never been to a big museum before.
@@prakritishaktimusic This was over 40 years ago. It might not even be in the same gallery. But I don't remember huge crowds being a problem.
I have a high-resolution image of this painting on my computer and look at it from time to time for its lighting effects and for the masterful efficiency of the brushstrokes, which is a hallmark of all Sargent paintings. For me this painting sits just on the edge of Impressionism and Realism. Didn't know it is such a large painting. Sargent is one of my favorite artists and one of the greatest artist who ever lived.
This is one of those paintings that you need to see in the flesh to get the most from, it's a great painting looking at a photo, but the lighting and colours of the original are the most life-like I've ever seen. It's almost supernatural.
Conosci AKIANE E AMERICANA GUARDA I SUOI DIPINTI !
Yes? Send me the link where you download it in high res
Definitely the painting that made me fall in love with Sargent when I saw it at the Tate, reproduction does it no justice, it is luminous when you see it in person.
I visited the Tate in 2014 and didn't know about this painting. 'Missed the opportunity to see it, but I'm seeing it now. I only discovered Sargent a couple of years ago when I took up painting myself. What a pure piece of poetry it is.
Me too! I started painting when you posted this comment haha. Do you still paint?
@@zaidshah4535 Yes; that is, I'm 'still learning' to paint, but have hung a few paintings around the house that I'm pleased with at my level. It's an intriguing pastime. :)
@@ClariceAust well that is lovely, although I might try to make it a little more than a hobby but that remains to be seen. good day
@@zaidshah4535 Good luck and happy painting. Best wishes to you.
@@ClariceAust Thank you, happy painting to you too!
This is one of my very favourite paintings!
I don't know much about history of art, and I decided recently that I would find my "favorite painting". This is the one. It caught my attention right away among others, and the process and struggle behind it makes me like it even more. Now I have a piece of art in my heart, and I'll never forget the name of John Singer Sargent.
Such a joy! Please, give us more of Sargent.
The illuminated paper lanterns are perfectly rendered
One of my favourite paintngs of all time. I am blown away by the emotive aspects of the piece and of course by the plays of light and luminosity. I am an artist, in that I have a degree blah blah blah.. but I have zero talent when I look at the masters, lol. There is no way I could recreate those two little girls, the quiet contemplative look on their faces and the folds of their beautiful dresses and the light hitting it by MEMORY! That to me is almost supernatural. 😊
"People keep asking where it is." Yes that is probably me. I make a point of viewing the painting everytime I come to Tate Britain. It has very strong personal meaning for me. A beautiful painting.
Jason Chambers Several years ago there was a Sargent exhibit at the Clark Museum here in Massachusetts. I went many times and stood in awe before the paintings, this being one of them. I don’t think I ever got more of a thrill out of any other exhibit!
This painting hung in my town gallery in Sheffield for a while. I was then about 13 years old. I was obsessed with this painting and used to regularly to study it. It really is amazing.
If I could have only one painting in the world, this would be it. The light is indescribable.
That is a master piece.
Plein air gives absolutely special feeling to the pictures. And to the artists, whyle they are working. And it is impossible not to use absolutely, when you talk about Singer Sargent.
What delight. I can’t wait to come back to London to see this lovely painting again see it new light. So expertly and beautifully narrated. Very enlightening and enjoyable
so beautiful. sargent is gone but he still speaks
My absolute favorite artist. I especially love his watercolors.
*Imagine working amongst these masterpieces as your JOB. (I wouldn't be able to sleep at night from the anticipation of the next day's thrill.)*
Carnation lily lily rose is the finest painting with it's type of content is the finest I've ever seen.❤
Thanks 'Tate' that was magic!
I’ve long been a fan of Sargent & visited the major exhibition of his work , at the National Portrait Gallery, in the 1970’s/early ‘80’s…..
I bought the catalogue & familiarized myself with some of the portraits & the sitters.
It was very gratifying to find that when I relocated to live in France, I found that one of those sitters, who was obviously a Doctor of some renown, had a major road & hospital, in my vicinity, named after him. I salute, Docteur Samuel Pozzi ! 😊
What a wonderful little film
I loved the imagery of the painting’s layers.
Love his portraits and figure drawings... such an inspiring artist.
For me, this is one of the 12 GREAtest Paintings in western civilization!!
the ultra violet vision was stunning. changed how i saw the painting
A beautiful picture.
Just lovely...
Wonderful presentation, a treasure chest of information and beauty
Lovely short. No credit is given for the music. I love the way the music comes in and goes out, like emerging out of and receding into some sort of dense medium; this mimicks how light changes in twilight. Who did the music?
hello, did you find the credit of the music?
Master of watercolour as well.....
just right! informative, interesting, insightful. Thank you very much.
Fabulous!
I have been a fan of this since I stumbled across a Sargent exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. I didn’t know him, but was impressed by how long the line was. I stood in line for over an hour, and was richly rewarded for it. This was one of my favorite pieces, and I even bought one exhibition poster with it on it. So wonderful to learn more about the painting and Sargent’s process.
Going to make it a point to paint outside a few times each week during these warmer seasons ... a beautiful video! Thank you ❤️
💜💜💜I love this painting! 💜💜💜
Love the Whinshaw in the background... a rather stark contrast
An exquisite painting that's original an beautiful.
Thank you for this, I have always loved this painting.❤️
First an illustrator for almost 30 years, now a gallery painter, this painting holds the power to change any artist. I'm astonished to learn that Sargent painted this en plein air! What endears me most to this story, that it describes Sargent's "moment" seeing the lamps that let to one of his most famous works. As true for an artist today as it was then, and has always been.
one of my favorite paintings
You resemble the child on the right in the painting!! I love his work!!!
absolutely beautyful! thanks to Mr John Singer Sargent!
I had no idea it was that large. A wonderful painting.
Wow. Innocence entirely captured on canvas.
The best.
I know he was a expat but it's still a bit of a stretch to say that this is an english painting. He was an American.
My sentiments exactly. "English" Impressionism? Hmm...
i mean wasnt he trained in europe? i would claim him too if i were them
Right. If one did not know better, one would come away from this presentation thinking that Sargent was a British artist.
It's the same with T.S. Eliot.
Yes/and.
True poetry in motion...I am studying him from the 'action-moment-fluidity' of the paint! Thank you master!
I can’t afford visiting so I’m painting one for myself. It’s very hard but the fencing metaphor helped me immensely I was having a hard time painting the foliage to the right and I stepped back and did my fencing move and suddenly got it.
I love it so much! I lost track of time when I encountered this art in the museum. I couldn’t stop gazing at it. It’s pure magic.🪄🌟X
Thank you again
Hard to unsee the hand once it's pointed out!
Wonderful. Really enjoyed this. A true treasure, I adore this painting. I think it's one of the most beautiful and important paintings of all time. The subject in the most basic way of viewing it may look very superficial or chocolate box for want of a better way of putting it. But it is much more than that. Although having said that I must say that Im of the opinion that beauty should be justification enough, and this is undoubtedly beautiful.
This is one of my favorite paintings.
Beautiful documentary or, rather, reflection on the artística sense of time.
I wish the video had got even deeper into analysing details of the wonderfull painting - it truly is a painting that I could look at for ever. The brushstrokes and the color seem to be intertwining into true magic of the mystery of the poetics of the now
I saw this at the Tate and was mesmerized, film can never give the effect that it has in person, the luminosity of it...
Of course to look at it in reality can never be compaired to looking at it in a film or a reproduction, but it can give a lot of pleasure to be able to share it in this way - and hopefully inspire to visit it in reality if possible
Very good film, explained some things that I was unaware of……I had always assumed that he made sketches & put the composition together in the studio…In terms of his painting skills , he’s a ‘virtuoso ‘, of that there is no doubt. 👌
As an amateur watercolorist who loves to paint Calla Lilies, it is noticeable to me that white “color” in watercolor is a tricky proposition. This painting has a lot of white to it; very challenging.
What a beautiful painting
@1:03 the Lady looks related to the girl in the painting.
lonemapper
HAHA, I thought the same!
She’s probably subconsciously influenced by it!!
I look at the hand that is commented on as motioned blurred. I work in Visual effects and so if feels like the the sense of a camera that captures elements of a motion blur which can produce some interesting natural elements.
Such a beautiful painting
Absolutely love this. Enchanting.
A great impressionist , a Manet in beautiful colors
This is so beautiful
It is magnificent.
I love looking at this one it's one I always make a beeline for it to get my "fix" like a few other favourites
Gorgeous.
a masterful presentation Bravo
Thank you. It's a magnificent piece of art to work with.
One of my fsvorite paintings. Itnikk also of Lily - Rose Depp, inspiration for the name
The two girls in the painting were Lily and Rose, daughters of Sargent's friend.
what is the name of the song used in the video please?? she give a incredible effect to the presentation
What is the painting with the horse and Goyaesque crowd at the end of the video?
Beautiful painting but I feel this video was not really about his painting technique or material choices such as ground choice, any mediums he was using, was the paint dry to the touch relatively quickly, or was it wet for days. I think they could have gone into his techniques rather then going so much into anecdotal art historical theories.
Its lovely romatcism.
I can't unsee that hand. But that's the point, we weren't meant to focus on that hand.
This was great, thanks! But I'm a little confused...could someone answer a question for me? I was under the impression that JSS was born to American parents (in Italy) and studied in Paris. In the video, it is stated that he was an English impressionist. Is my information wrong? Or do I just not understand how artists are claimed?
I think he's considered an American because his parents were Americans. Certainly, he mostly lived overseas, though (like you) I didn't realize that the Brits claimed him as a "British" Impressionist (though he was buried in England).
@@kenc2257 Well it only took the internet 6 months to answer this for me! Thanks for picking up the slack. I think radio silence is answer enough for both of us. So... does this mean we can have The Beetles?😁
You're right, it should have noted he was an American. He worked and lived mostly in Britain, however, where he was a contemporary and friend of that other great American painter, Whistler.
Beautiful ❤️
Sargent is my all time fav. Artist and this painting is jewel 🙏 masterpiece
What's the name of the song in the background?
I wa just wondering that myself
why is this video so desaturated? the painting is so vibrant
Legendary painting by a legendary AMERICAN painter.
@Jordan Groff - So?
The two narrators were in the painting!
I was immensely fortunate to have seen this iconic painting by Sargent at Tate, it's undoubtedly one of my most memorable experiences of my visits London.
I'm a great admirer of John Singer Sargent and I truly enjoyed this Video ! I'd like to thank Rebecca Hellen, Tate Paintings Conservator and Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, Assistant Curator and responsible for Sargent's works at Tate.
My favorite painting.
Very interesting and informative - and truly what a magical vision that immediately open into dreamy scenarier of beauty and longing
Like all art critics and curators. They Ass ume everything. Andrew wyeth said stop listening to those who guess and don’t do. We paint because we have to not at the whims of art critics.....
I read somewhere that Sargent was frustrated and at one point he called this “Tarnation, silly, silly pose.” 😄
Waht's this beautiful song in the background?
I have seen this painting in person and what impressed and surprised me is how vibrant the colours are in real life. In reproductions and videos, they never reproduce the vibrancy of this piece.
I wonder how he could mix the colors correctly when his canvas and palette were themselves in twighlight.
As a child I read a series of books where the main char. Maybe one day.
I have a notecard from The Tate Gallery stuck on my bedroom mirror of this & only just noticed that it had been severely cropped at the left leaving out the three lanterns. Such a desecration...I loath when museums do this. I wonder how the artist would feel.?
@TheMintyMelon - Are you sure that's not the notecard image that is cropped? The painting itself was cropped by Sargent himself before he completed it. From the catalog description ---
------------
"Canvas, 68 1/2×60 1/2 (174×154); a 3/4 (2) wide painted strip turned over along top and left edges."
.....And....
"...Edwin Howland Blashfield, one of the group of artists working at Broadway in 1885, recalled that when he saw the canvas each morning it appeared to have been scraped down so that all the previous night's work was erased, and that this happened again and again. Furthermore, Sargent reduced the canvas by 2 ft. cut from the left, leaving it approximately square, and thereby concentrated the composition which until then had dissatisfied him."
- www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sargent-carnation-lily-lily-rose-n01615
Thanks for this terrific insight. Truly fascinating. Question: what is the painting we can see to the right and behind the Sargent painting after the 5min mark? It has a Goya-esque look to it.
the painting which creeps out the left of the screen between 5.04 and 5.17 is Corrida by Anthony Whishaw.
@@kieran___ Thank you very much!
Do not call him an English Painter. This is a glaring inaccuracy and now makes me wonder about all the information shared by the Tate.
On your own website you state "He remained an American citizen throughout his life."
Sargent was technically an American expatriate. He lived in London part of the time, but also in Italy, France, Spain and the Middle East along with the US. It's true he was very involved in the English Art community. But he was not an "English Painter".
I think he was more a citizen of the world of the Upper classes.
Still the explanation of the process of the painting is really interesting. Thank you for this.
Is that a Goya in the corner....if it is......what a statement it makes next to Sargeant
At 5:16, does anyone know what the painting of the group of people is, behind the subject painting?
Dear Beverly,
That is 'Corrida' 1955-6 by Anthony Whishaw : www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/whishaw-corrida-t14296
Massive Thank you, especially for the link!!
Reember the mum in the book "The Family from One End Street", who called her first daughter after that painting?