| Although Sargent is considered an American artist, he was trained in Paris
and launched his career there. Initially he divided his exhibition work between
genre
scenes and portraiture, and though he painted genre subjects throughout his
career, Sargent ultimately emerged as one of the most sought-after portraitists
of his
day. His early career—when he painted The Oyster Gatherers of
Cancale—was
filled with rigorous experimentation as he searched for the most effective
ways to present his technical accomplishments. With this work, Sargent made
his genre-painting
debut in Paris. . . .
- Dorothy Moss, formerly Assistant Curator of American Art
Corcoran Gallery of Art |
Text excerpted from A Capital Collection: Masterworks from
the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
:: Purchase A Capital Collection online
:: The Curator's Journals Project
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