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Well here is an art essay I had to write about John Singer Sargent...

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” ~ John F. Kennedy

(participial phrase) Intriguing to research, John Singer Sargent was a brilliant English artist (appositive phrase)who painted during the late 1800s to the early 1900s. (personification) His art seemed to jump right off the canvas it was so lifelike. Two of his works, “Madame X” and “Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose” I chose to research in further depth. Both works are oil on canvas and are very beautiful and express exactly what Sargent intended. I think the works of Sargent capture the pure emotion of the time and subjects he was painting. (thesis)
Sargent was born in Florence, Italy on January 12, 1856 to American parents and
died in 1925 at 69 years of age. Although American by birthright, he spent most of his life in Europe and never even set foot in the United States until he was 21 years of age. Sargent loved his family dearly but never married or had children of his own. He left home at an early age to study with Carlos Duran, a master teacher in France. He was schooled as a French artist and was influenced by the impressionist (term) movement during his studies. Sargent loved his work and painted whenever he could, often from dawn until dusk. (varied beginning) Extremely bright, Sargent could master many different painting styles and mediums (term). He was an Impressionist, Classical Portratist, Landscape Artist, Water Colorist, Muralist and even a Sculptor. He continued to paint until his death. In that time period Sargent painted over 900 oils and 2,000 water color paintings. To be painted by John Sargent was to be painted by one of the best. Sargent painted two United States Presidents, (Roosevelt being one) as well as business tycoons Rockefeller, Sears, and Vanderbilt. He also painted Gypsies and street merchants with the same gusto. He was one of the greatest Portraitist of his time and was well known for going out of his way for others (compound sentence) as well as for appreciating all of the fine arts.
One of his most well known paintings, “Madame X,” painted in 1884, was oil on canvas measuring 208.6 cm x 109.9 cm. Madame Pierre Gautreau, of New Orleans, Louisiana (1859-1915) posed for Sargent in the painting. Madame Gautreau also posed for many other paintings of Sargents and was one of his favorite female models. When his painting aired at an exhibition in France the painting was considered to be a scandal as a result of the sexual suggestiveness of Gautreau’s pasty white skin and pose. The original painting had one of the dress straps off the shoulder but after the exhibition closed Sargent re-painted the strap in the “proper” position. Madame Pierre Gautreau secretly adored (action verb) the painting through all of the public hype. Sargent kept this painting in his personal collection (prepositional phrase). Sargent used very neutral colors and minimal detail to convey seriousness to the piece. Some shadowing techniques were used and Sargent concentrated on making Gautreau as beautiful as possible.
Another painting of Sargents, “Carnation, Lilly, Lilly, Rose,” was painted in England over two summers, 1885-1886. It was an oil on canvas measuring 68” x 60 ½.” The subjects in this painting were the daughters of British illustrator Frederic Barnard. Sargent met Barnard when he was painting in England and wanted to use Barnard’s daughters in a piece and so began to sketch them in everyday settings. Sargent only worked for twenty minutes at twilight every night in the summer to capture what he envisioned “a most paradisiacal sight that makes one raw with pleasure.” He wanted to show the warm glow of the candlelight shining through the girl’s lanterns like a fading ember in the glowing purple summer evening. (simile) This painting has very intricate detail and precise brush strokes. (sentence length) A cool color palette was used to simulate the evening. The painting has a high level of difficulty in the brush strokes and color effects. The painting is currently in the Tate Gallery in London.
Both works have a human aspect about them. (independent clauses) Sargent was a very social man and enjoyed using people as subjects for his works; rarely did he paint inanimate objects. Also, the shading is not greatly shown in these two works. The people in both paintings seem to be looking at something or staring off into the distance. Both paintings were painted with women subjects, one older and two children. Both paintings were painted around the same time period and are distinct in the styles. Both are impressionist paintings done in oil on canvas.
However, the two pieces also vary greatly. Sargent wanted to capture a whimsical emotion with “Carnation, Lilly, Lilly, Rose” and used cool colors. The children are surrounded by nature and the piece seems very relaxing. The colors flow well with the soft tones and shading. The piece is very casual and you feel as though you could just jump into the picture with the children.(metaphor) “Madame X,” meanwhile uses a very limited color palate and Gautreau is shown indoors. The picture seems tense and stiff, and does not convey the same emotion as the painting featuring the children. The way her nose is turned up and her pose conveys that she is of the highest class and does not want to be bothered by whimsical things.
Sargent’s art expresses the true meaning of the subject he was painting. “Madame X.” is a more serious painting with one main focal point. “Carnation, Lilly, Lilly, Rose,” is a whimsical painting with cool colors and a calming effect. These works of Sargent show his two different sides and his abilities. Through my research, Sargent has become one of my favorite artists, if not for his art then for his adventurous spirit.