John Singer Sargent: Roots

"Dr. FitzWilliam Sargent" by J.S. Sargent

"Mrs. FitzWilliam Sargent (nee Mary Newbold Singer)
by J.S. Sargent

"John Singer Sargent was born at the Casa Arretini in Florence on January 12, 1856. The house stands on the Lung' Arno, within a stones-throw of the Ponte Vecchio.  Facing its windows on the other side of the river, there rises out of the waters of the Arno a row of houses tinted to the colour of amber. Above these can be seen Bellosguardo, Monte Alle Croce, and away to the east the foothills of the Apennines.

The father of John Sargent was FitzWilliam Sargent, who was born at Gloucester, Massachusetts, January 17, 1820. He graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1843. Eminent in his profession he published works on minor surgery which he illustrated himself. He was above all thing American. In his frequent writings on political topics, patriotism was the guiding influence; nor was this affected by his migration to Europe. On June 27, 1850, he married Mary Newbold, the only child of John Singer of Philadelphia.

Mary was a woman of culture and an excellent musician. She also painted in watercolour. She was vivacious and restless in disposition, quickly acquiring ascendancy in any circle in which she was placed. In her family she was a dominating influence. She was one of the first to recognized the genius of her son, John, and was in a large measure responsible for his dedication to art. 

As a girl she had travelled in Italy. The magic of that country never ceased to exercise its spell, and within four years of her marriage she persuaded her husband to give up his practice, and in 1854 to sail for Europe, and take up their residence in Florence. FitzWilliam had, by his practice in Philadelphia, made himself of independent means. Mary was sufficiently well off to render the pursuit of his profession on financial grounds unnecessary."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "John Sargent" by Evan Charteris.)