In early 1918 John Singer Sargent was commissioned by the British War Memorials Committee to document the war. Sargent originally thought he’d paint about the gallantry of soldiers, but after visiting the Western Front and seeing a field hospital full of soldiers who had been exposed to mustard gas, he changed his plans. The high society painter who occupied Edwardian drawing rooms was horrified to see the results of war first hand, and completed his confrontational response to the commission in March 1919. Gassed was voted picture of the year by the Royal Academy of Arts in 1919.
I used to view digital paintings as inferior to “real” paintings, requiring less skill. I’ve since come to realize the skill of digital work is no less challenging, and the medium can be every bit as sincere. Digital paintings require the artist to mix and apply specific color, value, texture, layers, and transparency – all …
Today’s post is from special guest star Anne Walker. Anne majored in Fine Arts with a focus in painting at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT in 1989. She started taking classes at the League a couple of years ago. I met her in Fran’s Giant Figures workshop in February 2020 (shortly before our classes went online). …
Exercise your creativity This SAL Challenge is a vocabulary based creative challenge every day for January. Materials are artist’s choice. You can draw, paint, sew, collage, sculpt your food, anything you want. See below for today’s creative challenge. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see what happens. INCOMPREHENSIBILITIES Difficult or impossible to understand or …
A High Wind Warning is in effect this weekend for the Seattle area. Batten the hatches, and be safe. Below: a small collection of wind storm paintings. If you see something that should be added to the collection, please post it here. Wind This house has been far out at sea all night, The woods crashing through …
John Singer Sargent’s “Gassed” 1919
In early 1918 John Singer Sargent was commissioned by the British War Memorials Committee to document the war. Sargent originally thought he’d paint about the gallantry of soldiers, but after visiting the Western Front and seeing a field hospital full of soldiers who had been exposed to mustard gas, he changed his plans. The high society painter who occupied Edwardian drawing rooms was horrified to see the results of war first hand, and completed his confrontational response to the commission in March 1919. Gassed was voted picture of the year by the Royal Academy of Arts in 1919.
Notice here, behind a field of dead and wounded soldiers: a soccer game.
Sargent’s Sketches
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Today’s post is from special guest star Anne Walker. Anne majored in Fine Arts with a focus in painting at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT in 1989. She started taking classes at the League a couple of years ago. I met her in Fran’s Giant Figures workshop in February 2020 (shortly before our classes went online). …
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