"Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends" - Met Lecture at Bernardsville Library

Come to Bernardsville Public Library on Wednesday, July 15 at 7:30 pm for a guided “tour” of the new exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends,” a show which brings together about ninety paintings and drawings by John Singer Sargent of members of his impressive artistic circle. This slide lecture by Vivian Gordon of The Metropolitan Museum’s Education Dept. will explore the friendships between Sargent and his artistic sitters, as well as the significance of these relationships to his life and art.

Throughout his career, Sargent (1856–1925), the celebrated American painter, created exceptional portraits of artists, writers, actors, dancers, and musicians, many of whom were his close friends. As a group, these portraits—many of which were not commissioned—are often highly charged, intimate, witty, idiosyncratic, and more experimental than his formal portraiture. Brilliant works of art and penetrating character studies, they are also records of relationships, influences, aspirations, and allegiances.

The individuals seen through Sargent’s eyes represent a range of leading figures in the creative arts of the time such as artists Claude Monet and Auguste Rodin, writers Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James, and the actor Ellen Terry, among others.

There is no charge to attend the Library program, but advance sign-up is requested. Register online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org and follow the link from Adult Programs, or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.