John Singer Sargent
This painting is an intimate scene in the dining room of a country house in England. Seated at the table are Albert and Edith Vickers. Sargent’s composition weds the informal portraiture of the conversation piece to the techniques of Impressionism. Mrs. Vickers occupies the center of the painting and looks directly at the viewer—her hand rests on a glass of claret, while Mr. Vickers’ crosses his legs as he puffs on an after-dinner cigar, imparting a casual freshness to the scene.
How not to love Sargent! Here you can watch Nicole Kidman as John Singer Sargent’s sitters.