Mrs. I. N Sargent's Double Portraits

The double portrait of Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Phelps Stokes, titled after its subjects, is a work of art created by the renowned portraitist John Singer Sargent. Both in its composition and artistic elements, it is, truly, an exceedingly good example of a work of art by its artist, for it depicts many of the stylistic characteristics that Sargent used so frequently that these elements became a part of his distinctive style. This double portrait portrays, as noted in the title, a husband and wife. Interestingly, both husband and wife are shown wearing rather casual attire, as opposed to the significantly richer, showier popular gowns and suits of many of the other portraits of Sargent, lending to an overall more candid portrait. Unlike those portraits …show more content…
She stands in the popular swagger pose of portraiture that indicates confidence, as well as a certain degree of spunk. Indeed, her facial expression certainly supports her playfulness in pose, as well as her lively nature. Her hand rests on her left hip in an elegant position in order to display the ring, or rings, she wears that, presumably, are there to indicate her marriage to the man behind her. The jewel is quite large, and it practically glistens. By showing its size and beauty, Sargent conveys the wealth, as well as taste, of the sitters. The palette that Sargent chose for her clothing adds to the stark contrast between her and the background and her husband. Her white skirt practically leaps off of the canvas in its brightness, and even her black jacket and gray shirt have a certain bright quality that Sargent evokes through highlighting brushstrokes. The black bowtie and belt are the only garments that do not display any reflection of light, and, therefore, recede into the painting. Similarly, the ribbon on the straw hat that the woman gracefully holds emphasizes the smooth surface of the hat, whose woven pattern is barely suggested. Although the hat’s color is quite like that of the man’s suit, it appears brighter, due to the light that shines on the woman. Thus, the man is even more clearly thrust into the background, while the woman appears to advance. Where Sargent’s ability to create luminous shades is most evident, however, is in the superbly rich tones manifested in the woman’s skin. Her cheeks, lips, forehead, and even parts of her fingers and fingernails, shine in the light with an almost unnatural radiance. The brilliance of the buckle on the woman’s belt and the sheen of her ring(s) are not overwhelmed, however, for the bright gold tones