Nude Study of Thomas E. Mckeller by John Singer Sargent Essay

Nude Study of Thomas E. Mckeller by John Singer Sargent - Essay Example From that time, he grew up to be an accomplished in music, art, and literature. By seventeen, he was well accustomed to expansive masters of painting. He dealt majorly on portrait paintings, but he was also skilled in painting landscape and the use of watercolor (Joselit 65). He also went to study in Germany and Italy and later in Paris under Auguste Emile. Sargent also studied with Emile, whose influence changed his artistic life from 1874 to 1878. In 1879, his effort in painting the portrait of his teacher, Emile was met with approval by the public, and this gave him the future direction. He created more than two thousand watercolors, nine hundred oil paintings and countless charcoal drawings and sketches. In 1877, Sargent had a successful exhibition at the Paris salon. His travels to Holland and Spain to study fans Hals and Velazquez, visits to North Africa and Brittany inspired him in paintings. After the controversy of â€Å"Madame X,† painting Sargent moved to London whe re he had several commissions. In 1880, he tried to make up a client site in London and so experimented with landscaping and impressionism (Joselit 77). He incorporated the styles and elements of Monet and Manet in his work. By eighteen nineties, Sargent was the preferred portraitist of representation elites. As he entered sixties, he moved to landscaping turning away from trendy portraiture. Sargent never married and died in 1925. Exhibitions in recognition of his life were mounted the same year in London, Boston, and New York. The painting Thomas E. McKeller was an African American young muscular man when the image was done. He was a bellhop and Sargent considered his facial and muscular physique unique to pose for an oil painting. The acceptance of McKellar led to production of Thomas E. McKellar Nude Study. The painting exhibits Thomas kneeling on a cushion with his arms behind the body. The posture shows well-elaborated torso accompanied with a good amount of prominence and ten sion. Thomas head in the portrait has been tilted to the side and upward gazing maybe to the heavens. The success of Sargent portrait painting of the McKellar nude study depended on skilled use of visual elements and the mastery of them. In analyzing this portrait, he emphasized the physical element from the view of the portrait size and shape. The original size of the portrait is 125.73 x 84.45 cm (49 1/2 x 33 one/4 inch.) On the canvas. Considering the shape of the portrait, he painted it on distinct rectangular frame. He designed the portrait with an impressionable view of a three dimensional shape. Sargent was able to make this portrait descriptive object in that it physical characteristics are highly explicit with good visual capability. The physical depth of the â€Å"Nude study of McKellar† explores the hidden aesthetic means and value. He portrays the object clearly and openly where the physical analyses do not compromise the audience views and thoughts. The use of li nes as a main mean of painting style is well elaborated in this portrait. He makes good use of capricious lines on Thomas portrait hence his emotional intimacy can be deciphered in this work. The outer vertical lines of the frame give the portrait some calmness, nobleness, and sense of eternality. The horizontal use of line in the cushion part gives the painting indispensable visual element of calm and peace. There is also cross lines and irregular lines behind the body