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The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World by Paul Fisher

bargainsleuth's review

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3.0

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When I saw this book offered, I decided to request it because I knew Sargent was one of the most important artists in our country's history. I was most curious to find out more about his portraits of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson based upon my interest in presidential history. I am not an art historian, nor do I study art as a hobby. I enjoy looking at books of masterpieces of art but have not seen any in person.

This book was interesting learning about John Singer Sargent's upbringing in Europe. Once he sets out on his own and truly begins his work as an artist, the book became a study of the art scene in Europe in the late 1800's in minutiae. Every major and minor sketch of Sargent's was described in detail. I was happy to see some of the many sketches and portraits described. When I finally got to the section on the Presidential portraits, it was only a few pages long and did not go into great depth.

And what's up with constantly questioning if Sargent was homosexual or not? Who cares? It doesn't make his work any more or less better. So what if he was? So what if he wasn't? He was an excellent artist. Period.
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