Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra at the Cirque d'Hiver
c. 1879
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
93 × 73 cm (36 5/8 × 28 3/4 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
121628
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Free rehearsals of the classical concerts conducted by Jules-Étienne Pasdeloup were a popular event in late- 19th-century Paris. John Singer Sargent attended the performances, drawing inspiration from the “odd picturesqueness”—as a fellow artist put it—of the steep view from the upper seats. This composition shows Sargent’s perceptive use of Impressionist techniques to depict modern, urban subjects. He employed thin, abbreviated brushstrokes to capture the rich atmosphere and graphic qualities o...
About the Artist
John Singer Sargent · 1856–1925
John Singer Sargent, born on January 12, 1856, in Florence to American expatriate parents FitzWilliam Sargent, an eye surgeon and medical illustrator, and Mary Newbold Singer, an amateur artist, enjoyed a nomadic childhood across Europe. His mother nurtured his artistic inclinations with sketchbooks and museum visits, while he received early watercolor lessons from German landscape painter Carl We...