John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Jascha Heifetz, 1918
Pencil on paper board, 23.7 x 21.9 cm (9 5/16 x 8 5/8 in.)
This small pencil sketch on off-white paper captures the famous violinist Jasha Heifetz playing his violin. He is drawn within a circle, facing toward us, and shown from about the waist up. Most of the circle, except for Heifetz’s light-skinned face and hands, is filled with energetic, dense diagonal lines that slant downward toward our left. Heifetz’s eyes are cast down or closed and his brow is arched. His bowing hand is curved elegantly next to his head and toward our left. His other hand holds the violin under his chin and toward our right. Heifetz’s hair, suit coat, and violin are recognizable under the shading but are not detailed. The sketch is signed and dated on the lower right.
Yellow Room
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.