Monthly Archives: July 2025

………………….Chapter #3……….Sargent appreciated and studied many painters among them Velazquez, Frans Hal, Van Dyck, Carolus-Duran, his teacher, and Gainsborough, but the one painter he spent time with was Claude Monet….The two paintings at the extreme left, Sargent painted of Monet and his wife….Sargent was not considered an impressionist painter, but Monet’s influence can easily be seen here with these two painting….Sargent was considered a “Realist”…….Dr. Pozzi, the Frenchman in the red robe, was the first full length portrait Sargent did of a man….Dr. Pozzi was considered a brilliant gynecologist, and some of the instruments he invented are still used and talked about today…The dramatic red robe was chosen by Sargent, and was to signify blood…..Though Pozzi was married with children, he and his wife were not simpatico….He did have many affairs, and some with his patients….Sara Bernhardt was one of his patients. He had a long affair with the actress, and they remained friends their entire lives….He was nicknamed the “Belle Epoque LOVE DOCTOR”…..He also had an affair with Sargent!……”The Woman with the Red Rose”, and the “Lady in Red” were two of Sargent’s better know portraits…..The color is incredible, and looking at the actual paintings one can only marvel how brilliant they still are……over one hundred years later!

…………………To CELEBRATE my BIRTHDAY on JULY 23rd……I am have a FACEBOOK LIVE SHOW……at 3:00pm EST….MARK THE DATE!……..I will be presenting, with Cathy, many NEW ITEMS….that just arrived this month for my Birthday!…..Many are already posted on my LINEA QVC SITE. There are many items on SALE TODAY!….so if you would like to get a jump on them….go ahead!…..I don’t know if they will still be on sale on the 23rd?……I hope you can join us…..but if you can’t the video of the show will be available on FACEBOOK and here on my BLOG…….Let’s all celebrate together!!!!!

………………….Chapter #2…………….The paintings at the far left are self portraits of the artist himself…….John Singer Sargent……The portrait of the young man, second in from bottom left is of….Albert de Belleroche….who was many years his junior, and with whom he had a long intermate relationship……It was the painting of MADAME X shown here, that caused a huge scandal when it was first exhibited at one of the largest art shows in Paris. Thousands attended this show, and were shocked at the bare shoulders of a young socialite….Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau….She was the wife of a French banker…This was not a commission. Sargent, thinking she was beautiful and unique, requested to paint her picture. At first she declined, but then said yes….He did many pencil drawings and studies of her before he painted her portrait….At the Met exhibit it said that Sargent often did a second painting of subjects he really liked. Some he sold and some he kept for himself…….Today there is nothing scandalous about this portrait, and it wouldn’t raise an eyebrow….how times have change….Today most scandals seem to be political….not about a bare shoulder…..After this scandal Sargent left France, at age 30, and made his permanent home in England……He spoke four or five languages fluently, and became the portrait artist everyone wanted…..from Kings and Queens to aristocracy…..At the time his commissions were approx. $50,000 which is the equivalent of $150,000.00 today. Sargent traveled all over the world, including the United States, painting portraits of prominent people. If he didn’t like the subject, for whatever reason, he declined the work……He was very controlling, and many times would pick out the clothes they would wear, and the setting…..either in their homes or in his studio where he had a plethora of furniture and backdrops…….Though he kept his personal life very secret, this life long bachelor was known to be a homosexual…..however, he did have known affairs with women.

…………………….FIRST….I want to say that the day was so full that I have to write “MY DAY AT THE MET”  in chapters…..I drove into the city, and got in relatively quickly…..I never know how long it will take due to traffic….Construction on the roads can create a long unexpected delay…..but….I was on time…[my friend Tom was late due to train troubles….it’s always something!]……I met Tom on 90th Street and 5th Ave. at a tiny cafe called  “Bluestone Lane Chapel Cafe”……It is actually built in a small stone building that at one time was a chapel…….To my surprise it was a lovely day….not too hot, not too humid….and there was a strong breeze……not at all what the weather men predicted, but it was only 12:30…..The restaurants around the museum are often quite costly, so this was a find of Tom’s…….They serve salads, wraps and sandwiches……After lunch we headed to 85th street, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art…..I wanted to see the….JOHN SINGER SARGENT…exhibit….the Men’s wear exhibit, and what ever else we had time for…..To look through ALL the Met has to offer could take a week!……Tom was able to get free passes through his local library……who knew???….a great tip!…….I thought I knew a lot about JSS, but I learned many new things about the man and the artist….That’s him in his studio with the famous and scandalous portrait of “MADAM X”……………To be con’t

…………..Today I’m venturing into NYC…..It’s predicted to be HOT…..but after all…..it is summer!…….I’m meeting a friend for lunch, and then we are headed to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art…….I have been wanting to see the…..JOHN SINGER SARGENT exhibit since it opened, one of my favorite artists…THE artist of “THE GILDED AGE”!…..This is just a small example of some of my favorite paintings….I have no idea what is being exhibited!?….I hope it’s a good show, and there are many painting I have wanted to see….We will also look at the Costume Institute’s exhibit at the Met…..It should be a fun day!