John Singer Sargent


I popped into the Scottish National Gallery the other day and spent some time admiring this picture.

It is breathtaking. It is breathtaking because Sargent clearly loved his subjects and had a hugely flamboyant and bold brush. It is difficult to show this, but the real thing is, on close inspection, a series of broad, brave brushstrokes, light, careless and sublime. (You can enlarge the picture by clicking on it.)

I am going to try to get inspired enough to do a painting that pays homage to his mastery of the medium and his passion for women subjects (even though he was gay as a spoon).

Anyway, this is me, the real me, with one of mine in the background.


Thanks (I think) to Jim Baxter who has decided that this pic



has some relevance to this post.

8 comments:

Jim Baxter said...

I don't know much about art but I know a film reference when I see one. And I see one:

http://www.offscreen.com/images/white_zombie2.jpg

Off now to buy the White album again.

still life said...

I too don't know much about art but the word I'm getting is " monopoly ".

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Understandable - the houses look like Hotels on the Monopoly Board. Semi intentional and I quite like them

Administrator said...

Spoons are gay! When was this decided?

still life said...

Montague. Spoons are dangerous !

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1217504/Are-old-spoon-Woman-asked-ID-buying-teaspoons-Tesco.html


WW. The picture is ok. I can only paint in magnolia. Are the two red things trees ?

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Montague, Spoons are gay. I said so. Out of Knife, Fork and Spoon, which do you think is the gayest?

Still Life, there are three "things" and yes they are trees. There is something confrontational, and yet benign, about the interaction of the trees and houses. They are figurative, yet distilled which sets up an antinomy, thus creating a paradigm of nature versus man...now I'll fuck off to pseuds corner.

WV skslycho

an expert said...

Yes your painting is a wonderful juxtaposition. We have the ordered symmetrical dwellinghouse and the disordered world that we inhabit. It's a classic example of "Fausts theory" where order meets disorder and the stronger takes control. The setting sun asks us is it setting on order or disorder ? And the monopolised houses, although resembling hotels in the popular board game go onto challenge our understanding of the game by straddling a corner of the board rather than staying true to the games structure.
In summing up. A classic painting that challenges our view of life and everything in it.
Well done.

Administrator said...

I suppose this discourse on the gender affectionate sexual preference choices for cutlery can only leave me to assume that Sporks are in fact bisexualists.