One who did appreciate and follow in the footsteps of these men was John Singer Sargent, the American Impressionist painter.
Recognized as the leading portraitist in England and the United States at the turn of the century, John Singer Sargent was acclaimed for his elegant and very stylish depictions of high society. Known for his technical precocity, he turn away from traditional academic guidelines in favor of a modern approach towards technique, color and form, therefore making his own special contribution to the history of portraiture. .
A "true cosmopolite,"" he was also a painter of landscapes and genre scenes, drawing his subjects from such diverse locations as England, France, Italy and Switzerland. In doing so, Sargent also played a vital role in the history of British and American Impressionism.
One of the great painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, John Singer Sargent made his fortune and reputation as a portrait painter of beautiful women and influential men. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, novelists Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James, actress Ellen Terry and art patron Isabella Stewart Gardner all sat for him. Although in his early years, he painted landscapes that were visibly Impressionist in technique and approach. .
In the Venetian Water Carriers, portrayed in the Worcester Art Museum, depicts one of Sargent's early paintings. This oil on canvas, painted in 1880-1882, a remarkable group of figure compositions inspired by two extended visits to Venice during those years. Rather than concentrating on the flamboyant monuments and sites of Venice, he directed his attention to the working class women. Ordinary life is what Sargent portrayed in the dark alleys and backstreets of the city. It is painted primarily with dark colors, yet has a touch of bright colors with precise brushstrokes to give the picture form.
