John Singer Sargent

Described by a close friend as an "accentless mongrel," John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) felt at home in many lands. Born in Italy to American expatriates from Philadelphia, Sargent began his career in France, established it in England, and earned his greatest acclaim in the United States. Although eager to prove himself as a portraitist, Sargent always set himself new artistic challenges. In Paris, London, and New York, he exhibited a deliberate succession of different kinds of paintings that announced both his skill and his audacity. He showed The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit at the Paris Salon in 1883.