Object details
Accession number
P1w10
Primary Creator
John Singer Sargent
(Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Full title
Jascha Heifetz
Creation Date
1918
Object Case
Musicians Case
Provenance
Gift from John Singer Sargent to Isabella Stewart Gardner, 17 March 1918.
Marks
Inscribed, signed and dated in pencil (lower right): To Mrs. Gardner / Souvenier of Heifetz and J.S.S. March 17 1918
Dimensions
23.7 x 21.9 cm (9 5/16 x 8 5/8 in.)
Display Media
Pencil on paper board
Web Commentary
This evocative pencil sketch of violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) was a gift from John Singer Sargent to Isabella Stewart Gardner. During Heifetz’s tour of the United States in 1918, Gardner and Sargent attended one of his performances; the experience was so vivid that Sargent made this sketch from memory and presented it to Gardner as a memento. Framing Heifetz’s expressive brow and dynamic hands within the confines of a densely shaded circle, Sargent evokes the intensity of the violinist’s focus as well as the listener’s captivation with the performer in the spotlight.
Permanent Gallery Location
Yellow Room
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 17.
Rollin van N. Hadley (ed.). Drawings: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1968), pp. 48-52, no. 24.
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.