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

 

 The Grand Affair: John Singer Sargent in His World by Paul Fisher. Farrar Straus and Giroux, 479 pages.  Adult nonfiction, biography.

   Artist John Singer Sargent, born in the mid 1800's, was part of a family that travelled extensively. Although considered an American by many, he was actually born in Florence and lived some years in and out of other parts of the world. Not really a loner, but really not part of a group, Sargent lived his life on his own terms. By the time he died in April, 1925, he left drawings and paintings that have found their ways into private collections as well as the most prestigious art museums all over the world. Among them and perhaps best known are his large paintings of high society women, but this book shows the depth of his work featuring other nature and other subjects. 

   Fisher has done his research and it shows. (The notes in the back of the book are pages 385-479 and interested readers will find it is a joy to read these details).  Shining lights on much of Sargent's public persona and his rather secretive private life, the author manages to, forgive the pun, paint a more well rounded picture of Sargent's life than has been available in the past. Included are many illustrations of Sargent's works. It is illuminating to read about many of them in detail and then see the works themselves. Fisher clearly show how the world was changing and how the art world changed, too.