John Singer Sargent's "Ellen Peabody Endicott (Mrs. William Crowninshield Endicott)"

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1856-1925
Creation Date: 1901
Size: 64.125 x 45 in. (162.9 x 114.3 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA



Detail by me.

Atlas Week: John Singer Sargent's "Atlas"

On this Day in the History of Art: Leonardo da Vinci born (1452), Domenichino died (1641), Charles Wilson Peale born (1741), Ayn Rand and Frank O’Connor marry (1929), Atlas Shrugged movie released (2011)

Because the Atlas Shrugged movie is coming out today I thought it would be fun to post a week of images of Atlas by various artists from history starting with my favorite artist, John Singer Sargent.

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1856-1925

Creation Date: 1922-1925
Size: 10 ft. diameter (307.3 cm)
Media: oil on canvas
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA



This is one of my favorite depictions of Atlas and when considering the "Atlases" of Atlas Shrugged, it's fitting that he is surrounded by sleeping people. I also like how the circular format fits the design of the Atlas' sphere because in some depictions of Atlas the strong curve of the sphere is disjunctive with the rest of the composition. Unlike the Atlas of Atlas Shrugged, this Atlas is holding up "the heavens" instead of the Earth.

John Singer Sargent's "Repose"

On this Day in the History of Art: First commercial motion picture house opens in NYC for first public showing of Edison's kinetoscope (1894), Gustav Mahler's 2nd Symphony performed first time (1895), John Singer Sargent died (1925)

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1856-1925

Creation Date: 1911
Size: 25 1/8 x 30 in. (63.8 x 76.2 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA

A wonderful painting by my favorite artist, John Singer Sargent. Detail photographs taken by me.

John Singer Sargent's "Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth"

John Singer Sargent's "Miss Elizabeth Williamson"

John Singer Sargent's "The Wyndham Sisters"

Without hesitation I will say that today's post is fantastic. Not only is Sargent's Wyndham Sisters a spectacular painting, but I'm including detail photographs that I took of it at the Met. The integration of painterliness into realism is incredible.

John Singer Sargent's "Frederick Law Olmstead"

John Singer Sargent's "Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, 1861-1928. Soldier"

Because it's Veterans Day I thought I'd put up a painting of a soldier by my favorite artist.



The full title of this painting according to the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland, who owns it is Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, 1861 - 1928. Soldier (study for portrait in General Officers of World War I, 1914 - 1918, in the National Portrait Gallery, London) but I'm pretty sure that Sargent never gave this painting this title.

John Singer Sargent Week: "Portrait of Madame X"

This is one of the most beautiful paintings in human history and it has a fascinating story which you can read here. Scandals, ruination, Sargent caving into public pressure, stuff like that.

John Singer Sargent Week: "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose"

John Singer Sargent Week: "Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon"

I once read that John Singer Sargent was commissioned to make so many charcoal portraits that at wealthy, Parisian parties a man frequently used, "How do you like your Sargent drawing?" as a pick-up line. He claimed that nine out of ten times his guess was correct.

John Singer Sargent Week: "Portraits of Edouard and Marie-Louise Pailleron"

John Singer Sargent Week: "Waterfall"

John Singer Sargent Week: "Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer" (a.k.a. "Young Lady in White")

John Singer Sargent Week: "The Daughters of Edward D. Boit"

William Merritt Chase and John Singer Sargent

Here are two paintings of the same model by two amazing artists. The subject is "Carmencita" a renowned Spanish-style, American dancer (1868-1910). James Carroll Beckwith, also a great artist, painted her as well but I couldn't find a good quality image of it.

John Singer Sargent: