Portraits of an Artist: A Novel about John Singer Sargent - 1646

THE PORTRAITS OF AN ARTIST is a novel about the 19th century painter John Singer Sargent. He was an enigmatic figure, particularly in his private life—he never married, but was close friends (and possibly more) with many fin de siècle celebrities in Paris, London, Venice and Florence: Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Edward Burne-Jones, Sarah Bernhardt, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Claude Monet, to name a few. In 1882, Sargent was twenty-six and on a swiftly rising trajectory of fortune and fame, especially in Paris—but by the end of 1884, he had retreated,disgraced and grieving, to make a new home in London. During these three years, Sargent produced what are considered to be his finest paintings:the Portraits d’Enfants and Madame X. The Portraits d’Enfants, also known as the Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, is haunting, with dark psychological depths that bring the viewer to the work again and again. Madame X, painted several months later, is perhaps his greatest painting, but at the time was a disastrous failure and scandal. My novel explores the man and his work, particularly these two paintings, and his relationships with his lovers and friends. The format of the novel is composed of several first-person voices of his portraits—through hearing their stories, we arrive at a deeper understanding of Sargent’s own life and character.
ASIN: 1090241593
VSKU: PKV.1090241593.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Burns, Mary F.
Binding: Paperback