Portrait of Charles Deering

John Singer SargentWW-1917-029432

1917·Oil on canvas·72.4 × 53.3 cm (28 1/2 × 21 in.)

<p>Although best known for his portraits, John Singer Sargent was also an accomplished plein air (outdoor) painter. In this uncommissioned likeness of his longtime friend Chicagoan Charles Deering at his home in Florida, the artist harmonized portraiture and landscape, weaving the sitter into a tapestry of swift brushstrokes, warm and cool hues, and the area’s rich vegetation. Dressed in white, Deering relaxes in a cane chair with tropical foliage around him as well as views of boats and blue sky in the distance. Sargent stayed with Deering for two months in 1917 while spending considerable time painting outdoors in both oil and watercolor.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1917
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 72.4 × 53.3 cm (28 1/2 × 21 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: John Singer Sargent

Artist

John Singer Sargent

Painting

John Singer Sargent was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Belle Époque and Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings. His oeuvre documents worldwide travel, from Venice to the Tyrol, Corfu, Capri, Spain, the Middle East, Montana, Maine, and Florida.

Florence, Italy

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