John Singer Sargent: The Life of an Artist (Artist Biographies)

Discusses the life and work of the famous painter John Singer Sargent.

Reviewed with Ray Spangenburg and Kit Moser's Georgia O'Keeffe.

Gr. 2-4. Books in the Artist Biographies series spotlight the lives and works of significant artists. The use of full color, good paper, large type, and uncluttered design results in books that offer several excellent reproductions of artworks, and the relatively simple texts respect the capabilities of a young audience. Sargent introduces the American painter who became the premier portrait artist of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century, though he esteemed his mural work more. The chapter on Sargent's portrait of Virginie Gautreau (the picture later renamed Madame X) provides an interesting focus on the making of one painting and how the response to it affected the artist's life. O'Keeffe discusses the individualistic life and career of one of the great women artists of the twentieth century. Most of the reproductions of her paintings are, unfortunately, rather small, lessening their impact, though the text is pithy and informative. Each book closes with a time line, a glossary, and an annotated list of Web sites featuring the artist's works. Carolyn Phelan
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