John Singer Sargent and James McNeil Whistler were known for their distinctive approaches to portrait painting. These 19th-century contemporaries have much to teach today’s artists regarding color, value, and paint application. Through gallery viewings of Sargent’s and Whistler’s paintings, lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on painting in the studio, students learn to create their own elegant, life-like portraits.
Studio lectures and demonstrations cover the artists’ philosophies, color palettes, methods, and techniques, as well as provide background on their personal lives and struggles. The course includes visits the National Gallery and the Freer Gallery for instructor-led tours featuring the artists’ paintings and works of some of their influencers.
Through direct observation of the masters’ brush strokes, paint surface, and application, participants gain a better understanding of techniques that can then be applied in the studio. Students work from images of paintings by the artists, as well as a live model.
Download the supply list for this class
Instructor: Adrienne Wyman
8 sessions; 3 hours each (no class Nov. 30)
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive ½ elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
