Orchestra rehearsal of Jules Etienne Bastard

Artist John singer Sargent was fascinated by not only painting but also music. One of the artist's friends remembered that the music "was his chief pleasure, the nucleus of his social life." In the first years of life in Paris, Sargent probably visited more than a dozen concerts, but the special affection he felt for the band Jules Etienne Bastard. The famous Parisian conductor, who became famous thanks to its bold and controversial program, gave so-called "popular concerts" with lower input cost in the Winter circus. Sargent shared the love Bastard for the works of Wagner, fauré, and other progressive composers, and was attended not only by the orchestra but open rehearsals, which allowed all comers.

There are two versions of the canvas "Orchestra rehearsal of Jules Etienne Bastard". In one option Sargent was placed on the front of three brightly dressed clowns, thereby uniting high and mass art. In the second version the artist focused all his attention on the orchestra, while retaining a distorted perspective and making the image monochrome.

This picture was perhaps the most daring impressionistic experiment of Sargent. Energetic brushstrokes, lack of detail and masterful combination of tones create a sense of whirlwind energy, motion, rhythm. When looking at the tense back and the fingers of musicians and barely outlined white wind instruments, you can almost hear the music that inspired Sargent.

Author: Eugene Sidelnikov