The title suggests it should be a portrait, but the arrangement of figures says otherwise. Greatly influenced by his teacher who was encouraging up and coming artist to skip the sketches step and go straight for the canvas, he wanted his students to break free of the old rigidity styles. Sargent took a great liking to renowned artist Velásquez while he was studying in Spain. We see Sargent mirroring a more “loose” version of Las Meninas. Both artist have figures in a dark room, have a similar color scheme of browns, whites, blacks, hints of red’s and blue’s, as well as indescribable in-between colors. There are figures that are confronting and engaging the viewer (you) and also figures that aren’t. Everything from the single light source to the shape and size of the canvas are the same. The change of focus shifts from person to person in both pieces of art, there is no direct connection. Another thing that is very similar is that Margarita and Julia are both in a very similar portrait-like pose. Both girls look bored even with other figures around them, like they want the observer to give them attention. There are quite a few differences that are noticeable as well though. For one the brush stroke, Velásquez is
The title suggests it should be a portrait, but the arrangement of figures says otherwise. Greatly influenced by his teacher who was encouraging up and coming artist to skip the sketches step and go straight for the canvas, he wanted his students to break free of the old rigidity styles. Sargent took a great liking to renowned artist Velásquez while he was studying in Spain. We see Sargent mirroring a more “loose” version of Las Meninas. Both artist have figures in a dark room, have a similar color scheme of browns, whites, blacks, hints of red’s and blue’s, as well as indescribable in-between colors. There are figures that are confronting and engaging the viewer (you) and also figures that aren’t. Everything from the single light source to the shape and size of the canvas are the same. The change of focus shifts from person to person in both pieces of art, there is no direct connection. Another thing that is very similar is that Margarita and Julia are both in a very similar portrait-like pose. Both girls look bored even with other figures around them, like they want the observer to give them attention. There are quite a few differences that are noticeable as well though. For one the brush stroke, Velásquez is