n the closing decade of the nineteenth century and the first two decades of the twentieth, the art movement known as Impressionism attracted widespread popular support and, as time went by, scholarly and curatorial interest. At the same time, a group of artists of immense talent and skill took a different course and pursued different goals: the American expatriate John Singer Sargent, the Scandinavian Anders Zorn, the Russian Valentin Serov, the Spaniard Joaquin Sorolla, and others. Scholars have created a term to identify this group, calling them the "Luminists" or "painters of light."

This illustrated lecture traces the careers of two giants of the Luminist movement, Sargent and Sorolla. Both achieved early fame and a degree of financial independence. Both made the portrait a principal focus of their careers. And both, at the height of their fame and influence, accepted colossal assignments in mural painting, assignments which had an important impact on the course of their artistic development.

Along the way, the two became friends and correspondents. The lecture will present examples of their greatest works, explore the influence of each artist upon the other, and concludes with an overview of the immense mural projects which dominated the conclusion of their incomparable careers.

John Howard Sanden is a New York-based portrait artist, the author of six books on portrait painting, and was, for 25 years, a lecturer on portraiture at the Art Students League of New York. He holds the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, and is the founder (1974) of The Portrait Institute.

The Lecture.
The lecture begins at 7:00, and will conclude at approximately 9:00. The event is free to Portrait Institute members. Others are charged $20. Tickets are required and may be requested by clicking on "Ordering" in the menu at the left.



Letter from Sargent to Sorolla, 1904.