Author(s): Richard Ormond

Artists & Styles

John Singer Sargent's work in watercolor was unorthodox. He overturned traditional contemporary compositional standards and avoided the obviously picturesque, developing an audacious and sophisticated technique, an expression of his personal modern aesthetic. He ignored the celebrated panoramas of Venice and the traditional description of landscape; instead his watercolors challenged the viewer with unconventional angles, confrontational poses and geometric forms. This engaging volume takes a fresh look at Sargent's idiosyncratic view of the world through some of his most beguiling watercolors. These works are deeply personal and immensely appealing.