John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Miss Violet Sargent, 1890
Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 cm (19 11/16 x 15 3/4 in.)
This small vertical oil paintings a portrait of Violet Sargent, the sister of the painter John Singer Sargent. Violet is shown from the chest up, facing partly to our right. Her reddish-brown hair is tousled and loosely pulled back from her face, exposing her right ear. Her light skin is blushed pink, her right eye is blue, her nose is upturned, her red lips are parted, and her chin is slightly doubled. She is wearing a gauzy blouse under an open jacket, clothing that has mostly white and blue tones and some brown accents. She is surrounded by a dappled blue-green background but there is a brown area above her head that echoes her hair. The painting has free brushwork and a sketch-like quality. Its frame is light wood with a wavy grain.
Blue Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.