John Singer Sargent American, 1856-1925

John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925) was the most well-known portrait painter of his era, producing over 900 oil paintings and 2,000 watercolors during his lifetime, as well as numerous sketches and drawings. Though considered to be an American artist, Sargent was born in Florence, Italy, and was educated in Italy and Germany, before moving to Paris to study under Charles Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran (French, 1838–1917). In his early career, Sargent was heavily influenced by the Impressionist movement, as well as by Old Masters and Renaissance artists, including Diego Velazquez (Spanish, 1599–1660) and Frans Hals (Dutch, 1581–1666). 

In the 1880s, Sargent regularly exhibited work at the Paris Salon, until 1884, when his most controversial work, Portrait of Madame X, caused such an uproar that he was obliged to move to London to avoid further scandal. The original portrait showed Madame Gautreau, an American socialite living in Paris, with one strap of her dress suggestively slipped over her shoulder (which was quickly repainted). 

In London, Sargent soon re-established himself as a portraitist, and through the patronage of several members of London’s upper class, his fame and popularity rose to unprecedented heights. Sargent spent a lot of his time painting outside in the English countryside, and continued to travel throughout Europe for the rest of his life. In 1885, Sargent visited Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926) in Giverny, where he painted one of his most impressionistic portraits of the famous artist. Though not generally considered to be an Impressionist painter, Sargent often employed impressionistic techniques in his work. 

Sargent died of a heart attack in London in 1925 at the age of 69.