Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1890)
Technique: Giclée quality print
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John Singer Sargent, renowned for his evocative portraits of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, captured the essence of Cornelius Vanderbilt II in this striking 1890 work. In this portrait, Sargent illustrates Vanderbilt, a prominent American business magnate, with a penetrating gaze and a poised demeanor that is both authoritative and refined.Sargent’s mastery is evident in his use of light and shadow, where the soft illumination on Vanderbilt’s face contrasts sharply with the deep, rich browns of the background. The subject is dressed in a formal black suit, featuring a crisply tailored coat adorned with a pocket square—a subtle nod to Vanderbilt’s status and attention to detail.The pose is frontal and direct, suggesting Vanderbilt’s forthright personality, while his expression, coupled with his direct gaze, captures a sense of determination and intelligence. This portrait not only showcases Sargent’s skill as a painter but also provides a window into the character of one of America’s influential figures of the Gilded Age.
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Born in Florence to American expatriate parents, John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) is considered Europe's leading portrait painter of the Edwardian era. He was educated at both Accademia delle Belle Arti and Paris's École des Beaux Arts. While in Paris, under the guidance of Émile–Auguste Carolus–Duran, a portraitist and muralist, Sargent learned to paint directly from observation without first sketching, employing a fluidity, influenced by the Impressionists. Sargent created more than 2,900 paintings, mainly portraits and landscapes from his travels across the Atlantic, Europe, the Middle East and America.