John Singer Sargent is a beloved American portrait painter and Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears is one of his most impressive works. Created in 1899, this artwork depicts John’s lifelong friend Sarah Sears, who was a renowned photographer and patron of the arts in Boston. With Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, Sargent achieved a great reputation for his portraits by capturing her in this genteel pose with grey backgroundwalls that are typical of his works in the late 1890s.
Sargent was one of the most successful portrait painters in his lifetime as he created around 900 oil paintings as well as more than 2000 watercolors. An outstanding example of his work is the 1888 painting Mrs Adrian Iselin, which shows lady in an evening gown reclining on a sofa surrounded by her four daughters and four sons. This painting celebrates both family ties and style of woman at that time.
