Paris, late 1870s. In Carolus-Duran’s studio, the young Sargent lays down his brush. Before him, a professional model crowned with ancient laurels. The challenge: to capture living flesh through the magic of tonal painting alone.
A Study by a Master in the Making
Observe this torso emerging from shadow. Diffused light caresses the skin with softness. The face is constructed through skillful half-tones. Sargent applies values as his master teaches. Light touches burst forth on the nose and chin. Each brushstroke is rapid, without embellishment. The dark background intensifies the model’s presence. This bust study breathes the urgency of learning.
Carolus-Duran’s Pedagogical Revolution
Carolus-Duran transformed French academic training. Gone were the months of obligatory preparatory drawing. The master encouraged his students to paint directly from the living model. “Seek the values,” he tirelessly repeated. Sargent absorbed this fundamental lesson. He united drawing and painting in a single gesture. This innovative approach forged his virtuosity. This canvas perfectly illustrates this method that prioritizes immediate sensation over polished finish.
Sargent, the American in Paris
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) arrived in Paris in 1874 to perfect his training. Carolus-Duran’s studio became his artistic laboratory. There he developed his rapid touch and mastery of light. These studies prepared his future masterpieces. The young painter would become the most sought-after portraitist of his era.
Think about it
💭 What if Sargent’s genius resided precisely here: transforming a simple studio study into a meditation on human dignity?
About This Work
- Man Wearing Laurels, John Singer Sargent
- 1874-1880
- Oil on canvas
- 44.45 × 33.5 cm
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- https://collections.lacma.org/node/227910
- Work visible at Musée d’Orsay (Paris), exhibition “John Singer Sargent : Éblouir Paris” from September 23, 2025 to January 11, 2026
“John Singer Sargent : Éblouir Paris” Exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay in Paris presents an exceptional exhibition dedicated to John Singer Sargent and his Parisian years. It runs from September 23, 2025 to January 11, 2026. For the first time in France, an international-scale monographic exhibition pays tribute to this American painter who trained and reached the heights of his art in the French capital between 1874 and the mid-1880s. The exhibition brings together more than 90 works that trace the meteoric rise of this artist who arrived in Paris at age 18 to study under Carolus-Duran, and who established himself as the most talented portraitist of his time, surpassing his masters and equaling the great masters of the past such as Velázquez.
This presentation highlights Sargent’s talent and his brilliant integration into the cosmopolitan Parisian artistic milieu of the late 19th century. The exhibition pays particular attention to the scandal provoked by his portrait of Madame Gautreau (Madame X) at the 1884 Salon, a painting exceptionally loaned by the Metropolitan Museum and visible in Paris for the first time since that fateful date. Beyond the society portraits that made him famous through their technical virtuosity and compositional boldness, he also painted landscapes and genre scenes brought back from his travels in Europe and North Africa, testifying to his tireless quest for inspiration.
Everything You Need to Know About the “John Singer Sargent, Éblouir Paris” Exhibition
- Exhibition “John Singer Sargent, Éblouir Paris”
- Musée d’Orsay, Paris (France)
- From September 23, 2025 to January 11, 2026
- Curators: Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, Curator of Graphic Arts and Paintings, Musée d’Orsay; Paul Perrin, Director of Collections and Conservation, Musée d’Orsay; Stephanie Herdrich, Alice Pratt Brown Curator of American Paintings and Drawings, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/agenda/expositions/john-singer-sargent-eblouir-paris
