Art report: Watercolors by John Singer Sargent
Art report: Watercolors by John Singer Sargent
Last night, I saw the John Singer Sargent watercolors exhibit at the MFA.
Wow.
Painting with watercolors is something like trying to sign a check with a wet mop. It’s amazing if it can be done at all, never mind done superbly, as he does. I knew Sargent mostly from his portraits, of course. Some beautiful painting there, but what always impressed me was seeing a real human being looking back at me out of the canvas. (One of my favorites: "The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit", http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/The_Daughters_of_Edward_Darley_Boit,_John_Singer_Sargent,_1882_(unfree_frame_crop).jpg) But I had no idea the guy could paint like this.
When I entered the first gallery – scenes of the canals of Venice – my jaw literally dropped. “These are *watercolors*?” I asked myself, thinking maybe they were actually oil paintings tossed in to soften us up. Then I read the description card: watercolor. I leaned in close to see how he could possibly render objects so precisely using watercolor, but I shouldn’t have bothered. Close up, all watercolors look like ink blot tests. You really have to stand off a couple of paces to get the effect.
I’m sure I looked like a total goof, walking around that first gallery with my mouth hanging open. Stunning. Unbelievable.
I certainly have zero art knowledge, but let me try to convey some of what I saw. The composition – namely, the placement of items in the frame – is striking. In his portraits, people are usually facing front and the overall scheme is serene, placid, even dreamy. Here, he’s approaching buildings and boats from odd angles, often showing only part of the building or boat. (“On the Steps of the Salute,” http://prod-images.exhibit-e.com/www_adelsongalleries_com/0af6c8c9.jpg) It’s very dynamic, and gives the distinct impression of motion. Which makes sense: you get around Venice in boats; you’re in constant motion. You really feel that in these paintings.
Then there are the colors. Watercolors tend to be, well, watery and pale. But he’s gotten vibrant swathes of gorgeous color. It’s exciting and dramatic.
But what’s truly astonishing is how he paints objects in light and shadow. How can you show marble statues in shadowy wall niches in watercolors? He does it. How on earth can you paint a stone column in watercolors? He does it. How can you paint subtle shadows on buildings in watercolors? He does it. Amazing.
The second gallery was all studies of Bedouins, and it just wasn’t the same. Other people were oohing and ahing, but it left me cold.
Then came a gallery with pictures from the Simplon Pass, in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. Ah. That was more like it. Apparently, Sargent liked to go hiking there with his sisters and friends and their families. (“Simplon Pass: Reading,” http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1113473/thumbs/o-JOHN-SINGER-SARGENT-BROOKLYN-MUSEUM-facebook.jpg) Here we see women in gorgeous white gowns totally inappropriate for hiking, but absolutely perfect for showing a thousand variations of white-against-white. And the way he conjures a face – and a distinctive, captivating face – out of smears of watercolor seems more like a magic trick than art.
I could go on and on about the remaining 5 or 6 galleries, but I’ll just mention one more. At one point, Sargent traveled to Carrara, Italy, where there is a famous quarry of white marble. For someone who loved to paint shades of white, this must have been like heaven for him. Take a look at this one (“Carrara Lizzatori,” http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/03/21/arts/artsspecial/SARGENT2/SARGENT2-superJumbo.jpg). Don’t you get the idea that he put the workers in there just so he could paint those steps?
This exhibition continues through January. If you like painting, especially watercolors, you’re going to like this.
Note on gift shops: I usually regard gift shops at the end of a special exhibition as crass, but this one is more like a public service. After seeing all these amazing pictures, you naturally want to take some home with you, and so you can, at least in post card form.
Note on timing: I saw this at 8 PM on a Wednesday night, and there was a pretty good crowd there. On the weekend, I can imagine quite a crush of people. You might want to think about going at off-times.
Note on price: Wednesday night is “admission for any donation” night. And a lot of libraries offer museum passes for discounts.
Last night, I saw the John Singer Sargent watercolors exhibit at the MFA.
Wow.
Painting with watercolors is something like trying to sign a check with a wet mop. It’s amazing if it can be done at all, never mind done superbly, as he does. I knew Sargent mostly from his portraits, of course. Some beautiful painting there, but what always impressed me was seeing a real human being looking back at me out of the canvas. (One of my favorites: "The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit", http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/The_Daughters_of_Edward_Darley_Boit,_John_Singer_Sargent,_1882_(unfree_frame_crop).jpg) But I had no idea the guy could paint like this.
.jpg){kind=link}
When I entered the first gallery – scenes of the canals of Venice – my jaw literally dropped. “These are *watercolors*?” I asked myself, thinking maybe they were actually oil paintings tossed in to soften us up. Then I read the description card: watercolor. I leaned in close to see how he could possibly render objects so precisely using watercolor, but I shouldn’t have bothered. Close up, all watercolors look like ink blot tests. You really have to stand off a couple of paces to get the effect.
I’m sure I looked like a total goof, walking around that first gallery with my mouth hanging open. Stunning. Unbelievable.
I certainly have zero art knowledge, but let me try to convey some of what I saw. The composition – namely, the placement of items in the frame – is striking. In his portraits, people are usually facing front and the overall scheme is serene, placid, even dreamy. Here, he’s approaching buildings and boats from odd angles, often showing only part of the building or boat. (“On the Steps of the Salute,” http://prod-images.exhibit-e.com/www_adelsongalleries_com/0af6c8c9.jpg) It’s very dynamic, and gives the distinct impression of motion. Which makes sense: you get around Venice in boats; you’re in constant motion. You really feel that in these paintings.
Then there are the colors. Watercolors tend to be, well, watery and pale. But he’s gotten vibrant swathes of gorgeous color. It’s exciting and dramatic.
But what’s truly astonishing is how he paints objects in light and shadow. How can you show marble statues in shadowy wall niches in watercolors? He does it. How on earth can you paint a stone column in watercolors? He does it. How can you paint subtle shadows on buildings in watercolors? He does it. Amazing.
The second gallery was all studies of Bedouins, and it just wasn’t the same. Other people were oohing and ahing, but it left me cold.
Then came a gallery with pictures from the Simplon Pass, in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. Ah. That was more like it. Apparently, Sargent liked to go hiking there with his sisters and friends and their families. (“Simplon Pass: Reading,” http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1113473/thumbs/o-JOHN-SINGER-SARGENT-BROOKLYN-MUSEUM-facebook.jpg) Here we see women in gorgeous white gowns totally inappropriate for hiking, but absolutely perfect for showing a thousand variations of white-against-white. And the way he conjures a face – and a distinctive, captivating face – out of smears of watercolor seems more like a magic trick than art.
I could go on and on about the remaining 5 or 6 galleries, but I’ll just mention one more. At one point, Sargent traveled to Carrara, Italy, where there is a famous quarry of white marble. For someone who loved to paint shades of white, this must have been like heaven for him. Take a look at this one (“Carrara Lizzatori,” http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/03/21/arts/artsspecial/SARGENT2/SARGENT2-superJumbo.jpg). Don’t you get the idea that he put the workers in there just so he could paint those steps?
This exhibition continues through January. If you like painting, especially watercolors, you’re going to like this.
Note on gift shops: I usually regard gift shops at the end of a special exhibition as crass, but this one is more like a public service. After seeing all these amazing pictures, you naturally want to take some home with you, and so you can, at least in post card form.
Note on timing: I saw this at 8 PM on a Wednesday night, and there was a pretty good crowd there. On the weekend, I can imagine quite a crush of people. You might want to think about going at off-times.
Note on price: Wednesday night is “admission for any donation” night. And a lot of libraries offer museum passes for discounts.
Comments