Bellosguardo, Florence

aged 13 (1869 – 1870)

Watercolour lessons with Carl Welsch

His mother reports that at thirteen John “sketches quite nicely” and has a remarkably quick and correct eye; at that age he receives some watercolour lessons from the German landscape painter Carl Welsch.

1874

The Beaux-Arts exam and a silver prize

In 1874 Sargent passes on his first attempt the rigorous entrance exam of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and takes drawing classes with Adolphe Yvon, including anatomy and perspective, winning a silver prize; he also spends much time in self-study, drawing in museums and painting in a studio shared with James Carroll Beckwith, who becomes his primary connection with American artists abroad.

1874–1877 · Education

Beaux-Arts de Paris

1874–1878

Carolus-Duran's atelier and the alla prima method

Sargent studies with the young portraitist Carolus-Duran, whose influence is pivotal for him from 1874 to 1878: instead of the traditional underdrawing, the atelier teaches the alla prima method of working directly on the canvas with a loaded brush, derived from Velázquez. Sargent is the star student in short order, and one of his paintings in this manner prompts the remark “the student has surpassed the teacher”.