Beyond Beauty

Nyhet

A Portrait of John Singer Sargent

Inbunden, Engelska, 2026

369 kr

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‘Entertaining, compelling, revelatory – this is the must-read biography of the year' GYLES BRANDRETH The first major biography of Florence-born American artist John Singer Sargent written for fifty years, published to mark the hundredth anniversary of his death. Sargent was thought of as the portrait painter of his generation, famously capturing the glamour and beauty of the Gilded Age although he also lived to see and paint the First World War in harrowing detail. He lived within a fascinating milieu of creatives – Oscar Wilde, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Henry James, Edmund Gosse, Francis Millet.Though Sargent has often been treated lightly by previous biographies, he was a complex man who had turbulent, unstable early years and progressive, bohemian values in later life. He came to resent the commissions from the upper classes, who wanted more beauty or grandeur than they possessed painted into the canvas, and he turned down the presidency of the Royal Academy when it was offered to him. This insightful and wonderful biography from art historian Devon Cox uncovers new material to illuminate the ultimately elusive figure of Sargent, going into aspects of his life such as hidden sexuality which have never been touched on before.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-08-27
Mått159 x 240 x 21 mm
Vikt270 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor336
FörlagHarperCollins Publishers
ISBN9780008474010
MiljömärkningProduced using independently certified paper to ensure responsible forestry management. (Certification is by FSC, PEFC or SFI.) Produced in the UK using 100% renewable electricity.

Tillhör följande kategorier

Konsthistoria inom Kultur
Målarkonst inom Kultur
Biografi: konst och underhållning inom Biografier

'Beyond Beauty is an absolute delight. I have always loved Sargent's work and now I love it even more for the new insights Devon Cox brings to this masterly biography. It is as elegant and entertaining as its subject' Sue Prideaux, author of Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gaugin ‘Entertaining, compelling, revelatory – this is the must-read biography of the year' Gyles Brandreth 'This deeply researched and elegantly written biography deconstructs the enigmatic Gilded Age artist John Singer Sargent, whose luxe high society portraits hint at the rustling, inner lives of his subjects—while providing clues to his own rebellious spirit and repressed sexuality. Author Devon Cox deftly explores the dual worlds Sargent straddled: though an habitué of the drawing rooms of titled nobility and plutocrats, he befriended bohemian artists who flourished in a gender fluid culture that flouted convention. An exhilarating read' Donna Lucy, author of Sargent's Women 'Devon Cox is passionate about his subject, and his devotion is reflected in his writing. This phenomenally detailed, consistently sensitive account gives us not only the charismatic painter of fashion and beauty but the multi-faceted, introspective man' Sue Roe, author of Hidden Portraits: Six Women Who Shaped Picasso's Life 'Devon Cox tells the story of Sargent’s life and he tells it well, keeping the artist centre-stage among a host of outgoing characters while covering new ground in style. He has mastered the sources with lots of new quotes, and telling anecdotes to reveal traits of Sargent’s character that would otherwise remain hidden. The book goes with a swing and carries one along. He has done a great job in bringing the artist to life and charting his career and that in itself is a remarkable achievement' Richard is Sargent’s great-nephew and author of the nine volume catalogue of Sargent’s paintings