John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925) - Portrait of Mrs. Esperanza Conill de Zanetti

Signed and dated ‘John S. Sargent 1924’ across the top, charcoal on laid paper laid down to board
Sheet size: 23 7/8 x 17 in. (60.6 x 43.2cm)

Provenance

Collection of Esperanza Conill de Zanetti, the Sitter.
By descent in the family to the present owner. 
The Collection of Charles Virginia Bowden, San Antonio, Texas.
The Estate of Charles and Virginia Bowden, San Antonio, Texas.
By descent.
Private Collection, Tennessee.

Literature

David McKibbin, Sargent's Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1956, p. 132 (referenced).

Lot Essay

Mrs. Esperanza Conill de Zanetti, a New York City socialite and muse of the early 20th century, captivated artists from Joaquín Sorolla to John Singer Sargent. While Sorolla's 1909 oil portrait remains her most famous depiction, she modeled for Sargent on at least one occasion, as evidenced by the present lot. Fifteen years removed from Sorolla's striking, “Goyaesque” composition, Sargent's bust-length rendering is a testament to Mrs. Zanetti's enduring beauty and elegance.

In his later years, after about 1907, Sargent embraced charcoal as his preferred medium for portrait commissions–a shift that allowed him to break free from the time-consuming constraints of oil painting. These works, while still amply detailed (note, for instance, Mrs. Zanetti's dark eyes, eyebrows, and hair), introduced a looser, more relaxed style, owing to their brisk execution. In contrast to the formal grandeur of his earlier oils, Sargent's intimate, expressive Portrait of Mrs. Esperanza Conill de Zanetti homes in on the psychological essence of his sitter.