Beyond madame x: portraits by john singer sargent

John Singer Sargent Watercolor

He had even made portraits of Isabella Stewart Gardner, on his first trip to New York and Boston. John was honored in Boston with his first solo exhibition that hosted 22 of his paintings. He got back to London and got busy with his clients making portraits.

Karen See John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent has done more than 2000 watercolors that spread from the countryside of England to Venice, the Middle East, Corfu, and even Florida. He would escape the volumes of work in his studio only to get involved in painting from morning to night.

The watercolors of Venice are the most notable, which have been done from the perspective of a gondola. He had also produced many works in his last decade in Maine, depicting the flora, fauna and the natives of America.

Later Life of John

Sargent was the co-founder of the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York along with Walter Leighton Clark, Edmund Greacen, and others, which came to be in 1922. He actively took part in the activities there and the Grand School of Art, until he died on 14th April 1925.

John Singer Sargent – An Artist in His Studio

The galleries held a huge retrospective exhibit of the works of John Singer Sargent in 1924. He returned to England where he died of heart disease the next year.

Memorial exhibitions were held in Boston in 1925 and New York and London in 1926. John Singer Sargent is still renowned for his impressive works of art.

More Info On- Famous Victorian Portraits, William Leighton, John Everett Millais

Family and Early Life

Sargent was a descendant of the earliest American colonialists. His grandfather had been in the merchant shipping business in Gloucester, MA before moving his family to Philadelphia. Sargent’s father, Fitzwilliam Sargent, became a physician and married Sargent’s mother, Mary Newbold Singer, in 1850. They went to Europe in 1854 after the death of their firstborn child and became expatriates, traveling and living modestly off savings and a small inheritance. Their son, John, was born in Florence in January 1856.

Sargent received his early education from his parents and from his travels. His mother, an amateur artist herself, took him on field trips and to museums and he drew constantly. He was multilingual, learning to speak French, Italian, and German fluently. He learned geometry, arithmetic, reading, and other subjects from his father. He also became an accomplished piano player.

Summary of John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent was the premiere portraitist of his generation, well-known for his depictions of high society figures in Paris, London, and New York. He updated a centuries-old tradition by using vibrant Impressionistic brushstrokes and untraditional compositional solutions in order to capture his sitters’ character and even reputation. Sargent’s pursuits were not limited to portraiture and also included impressionistic landscapes, executed en plein air alongside his friend Claude Monet. He also painted official murals commissioned by governmental officials both in the United States and the United Kingdom as well as a good number of nude sketches probably meant as personal works.

Rise to Fame

The first major portrait made by Sargent was that of his friend, Fanny Watts. The portrait was done in 1877 and was the first Salon entry. The second Salon entry was the Oyster Gatherers of Cancale.

He made another copy which was sent to the United States, both of which received a warm welcome. At the age of 23, Sargent painted a portrait of Carolus-Duran, which was a tribute to the teacher and brought a lot of fame.

Sargent visited Spain after this, where he would study the paintings of Velaquez, absorbing his techniques and gathering ideas for future projects. He also got a taste in music. John got a lot of portrait commissions on his return and his career became established.

Later Career and Legacy

By 1909 Sargent had grown tired of portraits and catering to his clients and began painting more landscapes, watercolors, and working on his murals. He was also asked by the British government to paint a scene commemorating World War I and created the powerful painting, «Gassed» (1919), showing the effects of a mustard gas attack.

Sargent died on April 14, 1925 in his sleep of heart disease, in London, England. In his lifetime he created approximately 900 oil paintings, more than 2,000 watercolors, innumerable charcoal drawings and sketches, and breathtaking murals to be enjoyed by many. He captured the likenesses and personalities of many fortunate enough to be his subjects, and created a psychological portrait of the upper class during the Edwardian period. His paintings and skill are still admired and his work exhibited around the world, serving as a glimpse into a bygone era while continuing to inspire today’s artists.

«Nonchaloir» (Repose), 1911, Oil on Canvas, 25 1/8 x 30 in.

Nonchaloir, by John Singer Sargent, 1911.
Getty Images

«Nonchaloir» shows off Sargent’s immense technical facility as well as his distinctive ability to paint white fabric, infusing it with opalescent colors that accentuate the folds and highlights.

Although Sargent had grown tired of painting portraits by 1909, he painted this portrait of his niece, Rose-Marie Ormond Michel, purely for his own pleasure. It is not a traditional formal portrait, but rather a more relaxed one, depicting his niece in a nonchalant pose, casually reclined upon the couch.

According to the description by the National Gallery of Art, «Sargent seems to have been documenting the end of an era, for the lingering aura of fin–de–siècle gentility and elegant indulgence conveyed in «Repose» would soon be shattered by massive political and social upheaval in the early 20th century.»

In the languidness of the pose, and the sprawling dress, the portrait breaks with traditional norms. While still evocative of the privilege and finery of the upper class, there is a slight sense of foreboding in the brooding young woman. 

Resources and Further Reading

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sarg/hd_sarg.htmJohn Singer Sargent, American Painter, The Art Story, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-sargent-john-singer-artworks.htmBFFs: John Singer Sargent and Isabelle Stewart Gardner, New England Historical Society,http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/john-singer-sargent-isabella-stewart-gardner/

Early Life and Training

John Singer Sargent was born on January 12, 1856. After his elder sister had died at the age of two, his mother, Mary was very depressed. She, along with John’s father Fitzwilliam, left Philadelphia and went abroad, visiting cities like Paris and seashores and mountain resorts all over France, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.

John Singer Sargent – El Jaleo

Mary was pregnant and they stopped in Florence, where Sargent was born. His father was an eye surgeon at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and tried to teach young Sargent the basic subjects. But he was very restless and was more interested in outdoor activities.

«Fishing for Oysters at Cancale,» 1878, Oil on Canvas, 16.1 X 24 In.

Fishing for Oysters at Cancale, by John Singer Sargent.
VCG Wilson/Corbis Historical/Getty Images

«Fishing for Oysters at Cancale,» located at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, was one of two almost identical paintings done of the same subject in 1877 when Sargent was 21 years old and just starting out in his career as a professional artist. He spent the summer in the picturesque town of Cancale, on the coast of Normandy, sketching the women harvesting oysters. In this painting, which Sargent submitted to New York’s Society of American Artists in 1878, Sargent’s style is impressionistic. He captures with deft brushstroke the atmosphere and light rather than focusing on the details of the figures. 

Sargent’s second painting of this subject, «Oyster Gatherers of Cancale» (at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.), is a larger, more finished version of the same subject. He submitted this version to the 1878 Paris Salon where it received an Honorable Mention. 

Early Career

In 1874, at the age of 18, Sargent began studying with Carolus-Duran, a young accomplished progressive portrait artist, while also attending the École des Beaux Arts. Carolus-Duran taught Sargent the alla prima technique of the Spanish painter, Diego Velazquez (1599-1660), emphasizing the placement of decisive single brush strokes, which Sargent learned very easily. Sargent studied with Carolus-Duran for four years, by which time he had learned all he could from his teacher.

Sargent was influenced by impressionism, was friends with Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, and preferred landscapes at first, but Carolus-Duran steered him toward portraits as a way to make a living. Sargent experimented with impressionism, naturalism, and realism, pushing the boundaries of the genres while making sure his work remained acceptable to the traditionalists of the Académie des Beaux Arts. The painting, «Oyster Gatherers of Cancale» (1878), was his first major success, bringing him recognition by the Salon at the age of 22.

Sargent traveled every year, including trips to the United States, Spain, Holland, Venice, and exotic locations. He traveled to Tangier in 1879-80 where he was struck by the light of North Africa, and was inspired to paint «The Smoke of Ambergris» (1880), a masterful painting of a woman clothed in and surrounded by white. The author Henry James described the painting as «exquisite.» The painting was lauded at the Paris salon of 1880 and Sargent became known as one of the most important young impressionists in Paris.

With his career flourishing, Sargent returned to Italy and while in Venice between 1880 and 1882 painted genre scenes of women at work while continuing to paint large-scale portraits. He returned to England in 1884 after his confidence was shaken by a poor reception towards his painting, the «Portrait of Madame X,» at the Salon.

Готро надеялась, что другой портрет заставит взглянуть на ее образ по другому

Хотя репутация Готро была подорвана «Портретом мадам Х», она не умерла от досады, как пророчила ее мать. Она действительно отошла от светской жизни на несколько лет, но затем вернулась. В 1891 году Густав Куртуа написал очередной портрет Готро в профиль, в еще более откровенном платье схожего фасона. На этот раз публика отнеслась к портрету более благосклонно. В 1897 году Вирджини Готро позировала для очередного портрета, который рисовал Антонио де ла Гандара. Как раз работу де ла Гандараона считала своим лучшим изображением.

В продолжение темы о портретах хотелось бы разобраться в том, что сегодня является одной из наиболее известных работ мастера.

Джон Сингер Сарджент — американский художник, двоюродный брат известного ботаника Чарльза Сарджента, один из наиболее успешных живописцев прекрасной эпохи.

Сын врача, учился в Италии, Германии и Франции где его наставником в 1874-1878 был Эмиль Огюст Каролюс-Дюран. Ранние работы художника высоко оценил Генри Джеймс. Во Франции Сарджент сблизился с импрессионистами, теснее всего — с Клодом Моне (известна картина Сарджента Клод Моне, работающий на опушке леса). Также дружил c Робером де Монтескью, Полем Эллё. По большей части жил во Франции и Великобритании, много путешествовал по Европе, Северной Африке, Ближнему Востоку, часто бывал в Италии, не раз приезжал в США.

Сарджент — один из первых американских апатридов, художников-космополитов в Европе, денди образца Fin de siècle. Его нередко причисляют к импрессионистам, хотя образцами для него всегда оставались Веласкес, Гейнсборо, Ван Дейк (Роден даже назвал его, не без иронии, Ван Дейком нашего времени). Наиболее известен своими портретами, среди моделей которых были натурщицы Розина Феррара, Кармела Бертанья, Виржини Готро (Портрет мадам Икс), актрисы Эллен Терри и Элеонора Дузе, писательница Жюдит Готье, художница и фотограф, меценатка и собирательница живописи Сара Сирс. Среди мужских портретов — портреты Теодора Рузвельта, Вудро Вильсона, Генри Джеймса, Роберта Льюиса Стивенсона, Уильяма Батлера Йейтса. Занимался также настенной живописью.

John Singer Sargent Portraits

One of the famous portraits was that of The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, which surely shows influences of Velaquez’s Las Meninas. He was confident and always tried out different approaches to meet the challenges of producing a beautiful masterpiece.

The Lady with the Rose, drawn in 1882, was one of the most appreciated and exhibited works, which portrayed Charlotte Burckhardt, with whom John Singer might have had some romantic attachment.

Portrait of a child, by John Singer Sargent

The Portrait of Madame X, actually Madame Pierre Gautreau, completed in 1884, though controversial at the beginning, is revered as one of his best works and his personal favorite.

Sargeant had also painted exotic beauties like Rosina Ferrera of Capri and the expatriate model from Spain, Carmela Bertagna. Sargent even sent paintings for an exhibition at the Royal Academy like those of Dr. Pozzi at Home. He even drew a portrait of his friend Paul Cesar Helleu, one along with his wife outdoors.

«The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit,» 1882, Oil on Canvas, 87 3/8 x 87 5/8 in.

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, by John Singer Sargent.
Corbis Historical/Getty Images

Sargent painted «The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit» in 1882 when he was only 26 years old and just starting to become well-known. Edward Boit, a Boston native and Harvard University graduate, was a friend of Sargent’s and amateur artist himself, who painted with Sargent occasionally. Boit’s wife, Mary Cushing, had just died, leaving him to care for his four daughters when Sargent began the painting. 

The format and composition of this painting show the influence of the Spanish painter Diego Velazquez. The scale is large, the figures life-size, and the format is a non-traditional square. The four girls are not posed together as in a typical portrait but rather, are spaced around the room casually in unposed natural positions reminiscent of «Las Meninas» (1656) by Velazquez. 

Critics found the composition confusing, but Henry James praised it as «astonishing.»

Not Just Family Portraits

The steady stream of commissions from prominent families formed the basis of Sargent’s success, but he also painted non-commissioned images of turn-of-the-century society’s most fascinating characters. He actively sought out certain socialites, actresses, singers, and other celebrities and asked them to sit for a portrait.

John Singer Sargent, Madame X, 1888, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA.

One such case was his famous Madame X, the elegant-but-aloof American-Parisian socialite named Virginie Gautreau. The work is widely admired today as a symbol of turn-of-the-century elegance and high society. However, it was very controversial in its time for being overly suggestive and unflattering to its subject. This was Sargent’s only work to receive such criticism, which has only enhanced his lasting fame today. It is now an icon of style that eclipses the scores of other beautiful ladies and handsome men he painted during his career.

John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892, The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

An Underrated Favorite

There’s no question that Madame X is a classic, but my favorite Sargent painting is of Scottish noblewoman Lady Gertrude Agnew of Lochnaw. In her portrait, Lady Agnew wears a pale purple dress with a big sash and sits in a floral chair with an Asian textile hanging on the wall behind her. She looks directly at the viewer. In many ways, she’s so demure. Her dress is modest and frilly, her dark hair is simply styled, and her posture is casual without being too relaxed. However, the way that she looks at her audience is strong and quietly assertive, and her facial expression is neutral, but far from passive. Unlike the brazen Madame X who looks away from the viewer, Lady Agnew shows her own confidence by looking directly at us. That’s what I find so compelling about this painting.

John Singer Sargent, The Wyndham Sisters: Lady Elcho, Mrs. Adeane, and Mrs. Tennant, 1899, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA.

We encourage you to look at portraits by John Singer Sargent reconstructed in photographs with Nicole Kidman!

John Singer Sargent, Sir Frank Swettenham, 1904, National Portrait Gallery, London, UK.

John Singer Sargent, Ada Rehan, 1894–1895, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA.

Accomplishments

• Sargent’s distinct method of making his sitter’s shine while also capturing their personalities, aspirations, inclinations, and distinct characteristics differentiated his work in the portraiture genre from others before him. There was many a patron who, upon seeing the final results, complained or outright refused to accept the work. His infamous portrait of Madame X, for example, emphasizing the notorious behavior of the sitter, met with much criticism from both the sitter herself and the great audience at the annual Salon.
• Sargent took the very best of formal compositional development, as absorbed through his study of Old Masters including Anthony Van Dyck and Diego Velázquez and updated it with a pseudo-Impressionist style learned from an anti-Academic instructor. The result was a more vibrant type of portraiture albeit elevated by its grounding in the best the tradition had to offer.
• His works of sensual male nudes, carefully hidden away by the artist so as not to compromise his successful position as society painter, indicate a depth of investigation previously unknown in Sargent’s work. There is great speculation regarding the artist’s sexual proclivities to which this oeuvre as well as his relationship to Henry James bear witness.

A Certain Style

The glamorous portraits by John Singer Sargent are popular and easily recognizable today. His subjects look elegant and romantic thanks to his soft brushwork and his skill at depicting the beautiful fabrics that adorn his fashionable subjects. His works often have a subtle, yet powerful, psychological component to them. They always manage to convey a sense of the person beyond the painting.

John Singer Sargent, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA.

In his many family portraits, he frequently used unusual compositions to hint at the relationships within the family. In all things, he was a master at striking a balance between innovation and tradition that satisfied his clients and the art establishment. His style sometimes seems to reflect the attitude of the sitter, with conservative subjects receiving the most conventional treatments.

John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Carl Meyer and Her Children, 1896, Tate Britain, London, UK.

Henry James

Novelist Henry James (1843-1916) and Sargent became lifelong friends after James wrote a review praising Sargent’s work in Harper’s Magazine in 1887. They formed a bond based on shared experiences as expatriates and members of the cultural elite, as well as both being keen observers of human nature.

It was James who encouraged Sargent to move to England in 1884 after his painting, «Madame X» was so poorly received at the salon and Sargent’s reputation was sullied. Following that, Sargent lived in England for 40 years, painting the wealthy and elite.

In 1913 James’s friends commissioned Sargent to paint a portrait of James for his 70th birthday. Although Sargent felt a bit out of practice, he agreed to do it for his old friend, who had been a constant and loyal supporter of his art.

Useful Resources on John Singer Sargent

Books
websites
articles
video clips

Books

The books and articles below constitute a bibliography of the sources used in the writing of this page. These also suggest some accessible resources for further research, especially ones that can be found and purchased via the internet.
biography

• John Singer Sargent and His Muse: Painting Love and Loss (2014)
  By Karen Corsano and Daniel Williman

• Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X (2004)
  By Deborah Davis

• John Singer Sargent, His Portrait (1986)
  By Stanley Olsen

• John Singer Sargent: A Biography
  By Charles Merrill Mount

artworks

• Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends (2015)Our Pick

  By Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray

• John Singer Sargent: Watercolors (2013)Our Pick

  By Erica Hirshler, Teresa Carbone, and Richard Ormond

• Sargent’s Daughters: The Biography of a Painting (2009)
  By Erica E. Hirshler

• John Singer Sargent: The Sensualist (2000)
  By Trevor Fairbrother

View more books

websites

articles

video clips

«Madame X,» 1883-1884, Oil on Canvas, 82 1/8 x 43 1/4 in.

Madame X, by John Singer Sargent.
Geoffrey Clements/Corbis Historical/Getty Images

«Madame X» was arguably Sargent’s most famous work, as well as controversial, painted when he was 28 years old. Undertaken without a commission, but with the complicity of the subject, it is a portrait of an American expatriate named Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, known as Madame X, who was married to a French banker. Sargent requested to paint her portrait in order to capture her intriguing free-spirited character.

Again, Sargent borrowed from Velazquez in the scale, palette, and  brushwork of the composition of the painting. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the profile view was influenced by Titian, and the smooth treatment of the face and figure was inspired by Edouard Manet and Japanese prints.

Sargent did over 30 studies for this painting and finally settled on a painting in which the figure is posed not only self-confidently, but almost insolently, flaunting her beauty and her notorious character. Her bold character is emphasized by the contrast between her pearly white skin and her sleek dark satin dress and warm earth-toned background.

In the painting Sargent submitted to the Salon of 1884 the strap was falling off the right shoulder of the figure. The painting was not well-received, and the poor reception in Paris prompted Sargent to move to England.

Сарджент просто умолял модель позировать для портрета

«Мадам Х» — на самом деле мадам Виржини Готро, американская эмигрантка, чья красота была известна по всему Парижу. Она получала частые приглашения от художников, которые хотели написать ее портрет, но неизменно отказывала им.

Познакомилась Готро с Сарджент благодаря тому, что у них был общий друг, которому художник как-то написал: «у меня есть огромное желание нарисовать ее портрет. Также у меня есть все основания думать, что она позволит это, поскольку ждет кого-то, кто сможет передать всю ее красоту. Вы могли бы сказать ей, что я человек потрясающего таланта». Наконец, после двух лет уговоров, гламурная Готро согласилась позировать Сардженту в 1883 году.

Архитектурные особенности собора

Собор Святой Софии – здание прямоугольной формы со сторонами 79 и 72 метра, высотой по куполу 55,6 метров. Базилика не являлась архитектурным новшеством. Возведенный на холме храм поражал современников смелым соединением огромной базилики с гигантским куполом.

«Парящий» купол

Купольное сооружение, заметное со всех сторон, привлекало внимание грандиозным видом. Базилика увенчана куполом диаметром 31 метр, вознесенным на высоту 55 метров

Купол – центр композиции, олицетворяющий идею единения всех с Богом. Его сфера подобна куполу небес, обнимающему мироздание.

Тяжесть купола передается на четыре огромных столпа, подпирающих громадные арки. Подкупольные арки возносятся на высоту, создавая эффект «парения» купола, который состоит из 40 радиальных арок. В нижних частях межарочных промежутков прорезаны окна, создающие ощущение сплошного светового пояса.

Лента окон усиливает впечатление, будто вознесенный на головокружительную высоту купол взлетел над храмом. К подкупольному пространству примыкают две колоссальные ниши с полусферическим верхом.

Световой эффект храма

Важное выразительное средство в архитектуре Святой Софии – свет. Здесь нет контрастных по свету зон

Храм полностью залит светом, проникающим внутрь сквозь многочисленные окна. Залитый светом огромный зал вызывал ощущение грандиозности. Русские послы, посетив Святую Софию, в восторге писали князю Владимиру: «Мы не знаем, находимся ли на небе или на земле.

Знаем только, что здесь пребывает Бог с любовью». Князь Владимир выбрал для Руси путь, предложенный Константинопольской церковью. Собор Святой Софии – блистательное воплощение идеи храма как образа Божественного мироздания. Ночью храм освещался светильниками в форме кораблей и деревьев. «Этот блеск изгоняет всякий мрак из души», – писал византийский историк.

Особенности строительства храма

Перед входом в собор Айя-София – просторный двор с фонтаном. В храм ведут 9 дверей, право входа через центральный портал предоставляется императору и патриарху. На строительство храма доставлялся лучший мрамор: фригийский – розовый, египетский – пурпурный, лаконский – зеленый, карийский – кроваво-красный и белый, лидийский – бледно-зеленый, ливийский – голубой, кельтский – черный с белым.

Современник строительства Прокопий Кесарийский восторженно описывал собор: «Кто исчислил бы великолепие колонн и мраморов, которыми украшен храм? Можно подумать, что находишься на роскошном лугу, покрытом цветами. Как не удивляться то пурпурному их цвету, то изумрудному, будто природа была их художником.

Этот храм представлял чудесное зрелище. В высоту он поднимается, будто до неба и, как корабль на высоких волнах моря, он выделяется среди других строений. Храм украшает город, сам украшается им».

Османские завоеватели

29 мая 1453 года храм захватили турки и разграбили его драгоценное убранство. Молящихся убили. Султан Махмед II, зайдя в собор, был ослеплен его великолепием, так что приказал обосновать здесь мечеть. Вскоре к собору пристроили 4 минарета, назвав мечеть Айя-София.

В 1847 году по приказу султана Абдула I в мечети провели реставрацию. На колоннах здания разместили 8-метровые деревянные щиты, обтянутые кожей, с написанными на них именами Аллаха и пророка Магомета.

Внутреннее убранство собора

Внутренняя отделка отличается особой роскошью. Собор поражает небывалым блеском и царской роскошью. Потолок из золота, к которому подвешены золотые лампады, пол из чистого золота, покрытый мозаикой, 8 зеленых яшмовых колонн из храма Артемиды в Эфесе, золотой крест в алтаре, украшенный жемчугом, роскошь отделки интерьера цветным мрамором и великолепие церемоний, происходивших в храме.

Все подчеркивает грандиозность, величественность, пышность и торжественность Святой Софии. Роскошное убранство святилища внушало многотысячной людской толпе мысль о мощной Византийской империи и Церкви.

Главное украшение собора – алтарная преграда с изображением Христа, архангелов, святой Марии, апостолов и пророков, выполненной в виде чеканки из серебра. Престол собора изготовлен из золота и меди, железа и стекла, яхонта, смарагды и бисера, оникса и алмазов Церковная утварь для богослужений изготовлена из серебра.

Мозаика в облицовке стен

Стены храма покрыты мозаикой с сюжетными композициями:

• Тронное изображение Богородицы, держащей на коленях Младенца Христа. По сторонам от Богородицы – два архангела. Прекрасный, полный женственности лик Марии, мягкий овал лица, правильный нос, алые губы говорят о земном характере Богородицы и в тоже время подкупают одухотворенностью.
• Полуфигуры 12 апостолов и четырех святых константинопольских патриарха: Германа, Тарасия, Никифора, Мефодия.
• 16 ветхозаветных пророков и 14 святителей, одеяние которых ниспадает спокойными складками, так что хочется дотронуться до одежд, чтобы ощутить их тепло.
• Иисус Христос, сидящий на престоле с Евангелием, открытым на словах: «Мир вам! Я свет миру!» в левой руке и благословляющий правой. По сторонам от него – полуфигуры Богородицы и архангела Михаила.
• Портрет императора Александра I, представленного в облачении, украшенном драгоценными камнями, и короне с подвесками. В левой руке императора – держава. Мозаика с серебряными кубиками изображает императора за пасхальным изображением.

Мозаику отличает утонченная красота и величайшее мастерство исполнения. Фигуры выполнены с великолепным чувством пропорций. Образы одухотворены: большие глаза, исполненные печали, устремлены в неведомую даль. В торжественном спокойствии – отстраненность от земного мира.

Тончайшие переходы цвета без жестких контуров, мягкая красочная лепка придают ликам земной, чувственный характер. Христианские фрески соседствуют с элементами исламского убранства. На четырех больших щитах овальной формы – цитаты из Корана. Здесь же – мраморный резной минбар, откуда имам читал проповеди. По обеим сторонам – бронзовые подсвечники.

На стенах и колоннах более 70 славянских надписей, сделанных выходцами из Киевской Руси. На мраморных парапетах собора нацарапаны надписи воинами варяжской гвардии императора Византии в средние века.

John Singer Sargent Style

The attempt to study at the Academy of Florence failed, so he began studies under Carolus-Duran. Sargent passed the rigorous test to enter the Ecole des Beaux-Arts on the first attempt in 1874. He gained a silver prize, learning anatomy and perspective.

Sargent styled his paintings in favor of all prima, which involved working directly on the canvas with a loaded brush after the style of Carolus-Duran. Thus the paintings were not bound to the under-drawing like the traditional approach, that involved careful drawing and underpainting.

Head of a Capri Girl-John Singer Sargent

Sargent soon became the star student and his excellent command of French along with his superior talent gained him admiration and popularity. Sargent got a chance to meet all the pioneers of the art world like Rodin, Degas, Monet, and Whistler through his friend Paul Cesar Helleu.

Though Sargent had an enthusiasm for landscapes earlier, he changed tracks under the influence of Carolus-Duran’s expertise.

«Соломон, я превзошел тебя!»

Собор Святой Софии построен во времена правления известного византийского императора Юстиниана, пришедшего к власти в 527 году. Деятельный и целеустремленный правитель создал могучую Византийскую империю: ввел новые законы, расширил территории, построил великолепные дворцы и храмы.

Гордый император решил возвести собор, который затмил бы своим величием храм царя Соломона в Иерусалиме. Чести построить жемчужину Византии удостоились архитекторы Амфимий из Тралл и Исидор из Милета, которые были не просто строители, а выдающиеся ученые-инженеры, прославившиеся скрупулезным знанием математики и физики.

Пять лет (532-537) под руководством архитекторов 10 000 рабочих возводили Айя-Софию – символ Константинополя. Сооруженный из кирпича храм отделывали золотом, серебром, поделочным камнем, жемчугом, слоновой костью и драгоценными камнями. Ради возведения чуда Константинополя трудилась вся страна. Строительство собора поглотило три годовых дохода Византийской империи.

Невиданное великолепие храма поражало народную фантазию, так что сложились легенды, будто в сооружении собора участвовали небесные силы. Войдя в построенный храм, Юстиниан, восхищенный великолепием, упав на колени, воскликнул: «Соломон! Я превзошел тебя!»