Cotswolds' seduction of a celebrated American

RUTH MILLINGTON reviews an exhibition of portraitist John Singer Sargent

- RUTH MILLINGTON

Simplon - Mrs Barnard and her Daughter Dorothy. by John Singer Sargent

(Photo: Birmingham Museums Trust)

IF I could choose one artist from history to paint my portrait, it would be John Singer Sargent. This Great American painter depicted high-society sitters with captivating realism and exquisite detail.

Now, his flair for commissioned portraiture can be seen on the walls of Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum in a new exhibition, which also reveals a more experimental side to Sargent.

Many Americans fall in love with the UK, and this was certainly true for the expatriate artist.

'Singer Sargent: An American in Worcestershire' explores a significant period of time he spent within the Broadway colony of artists in Worcestershire; this circle of avant-garde creatives included Frank Millet, William Morris, Alfred Parsons and Edwin Austin Abbey.

Sargent arrived at the Cotswold village with its stone buildings, picturesque views, and pretty English gardens in 1885. It attracts streams of tourists today but in the late 19th century, it was a lesser known, rural escape for writers, musicians and artists.

By this time, Sargent had earned his reputation as portraitist who took on commissions for wealthy patrons. The show opens with a wall of female muses wearing sumptuous gowns. Among them is Sybil, Countess Rocksavage, who grasps the folds of her gold dress with one expressive hand, as if performing for the viewer from this picture of luxury.