John Singer Sargent: Watercolors

Across the Connecticut River in Keene, New Hampshire, we have a great bookstore. In addition to new books, they sell quality used books at attractive prices. Yesterday, prior to ushering a show at the Colonial Theater with time on my side, I paid a visit to the Toadstool bookstore. I could not believe this Sargent book in hardcover was only ten dollars. Needless to say I purchased this on the spot.

This book is titled John Singer Sargent: Watercolors. The book was published in conjunction with an exhibition arranged by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Brooklyn Museum in 2013. It originally sold for sixty dollars at retail, just a few years ago. I was interested in this book when the exhibition was going on but not at the listed price.

Beyond the photographs of his watercolors in the book, I was curious what any new research might reveal on his techniques and use of materials. I have yet to read the book but am aware of how direct his painting method was in watercolor. Sometimes he would layout a pencil drawing before painting and other times he just put paint to paper. Also, he drew on the paper at times, after he did many washes.

There is a freedom to his execution of these paintings as he did not waste his time with unnecessary details or overwork areas. Sargent liked to paint plein air and one dominant characteristic throughout the book is his ability to capture light and the effects of light on his subjects.