John Singer Sargent studies of the Spanish masters.

 John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was the most successful portrait painter of his time, gifted landscape painter, and watercolorist.

  


Sargent's teacher, Carolus Duran, had visited Spain in 1866 before establishing his atelier in Paris. He urged his students to study the works of Spanish painter, Diego Velasquez.

In 1879 Sargent departed for Spain, where he studied and copied the work of Velasquez and other Spanish masters. He made seven trips of over the span of thirty three years. His fascination for Spanish art endured into old age.

As Duran learned from Velasquez, Sargent also learned to define figures using long fluid brushstrokes, he admired Goya's elegant paintings of female subjects, and from El Greco, he referenced the posture of the his subjects.  

Figure of Apollo from “The Forge of Vulcan” After Velasquez 1879


"Las Hilanderas" (The Spinners) after Velasquez, 1879

Angels in a Transept, after Goya, 1879

“The Holy Tritiny”, after EL Greco, 1895

Source:
“Sargent and Spain”by Sarah Cash, Elaine Kilmurray, Richard Ormond


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