Children of the Gilded Era: Portraits of Sargent, Renoir, Cassatt and Their Contemporaries

I purchased this book when I became interested in portraits of children I had seen by John Singer Sargent and this book has many of them. What I really loved about the book was that, in addition to many wonderful full color plates of paintings, it has a great analysis of the changing view of children through the entire victorian age. The author points out numerous features of the famous paintings illustrated that a casual observer (myself included) might overlook. For example, only rarely are men or fathers included in portraits of children. Many examples of "purity" are present in these classical paintings: children wearing white, lilies, and light illuminating faces. I would have missed this symbolism if it was not pointed out. I found the text fully as engaging as the photos. This was a delightful read and I will not view portraits of children from this era in the same way again.

As many know, American painter John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) was not only a gifted landscape artist but was also recognized as the outstanding society portraitist of his day. One often thinks of him in connection with his painting of Madame X and the scandal that ensued. However, we are reminded of a much different Sargent when we view his portraits of children, so innocent, so appealing. Sargent, of course, is not the only artist noted for his children's portraits. James McNeill Whistler rendered a stunning full length portrait of Miss Cicely Alexander, the daughter of a London banker and art collector. Renoir left to the world warm canvases depicting his family, Thomas Eakins immortalized children at play, and Joshua Reynolds portrayed an angelic child with "A Little Girl.." These artists and more are represented in "Children of the Gilded Era: Portraits by Sargent, Renoir, Cassatt, and their Contemporaries" by Barbara Gallati, well known lecturer and Curator of American Art at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. More than a collection of memorable paintings of children this lovely volume represents how children were seen at the end of the 19th century. At that time, one's place in society was often undergirded by commissioned portraits. Thus, the children were seen not only through the artists' eyes but as the family wished them to be regarded and seen. With 80 illustrations, each accompanied by a brief sketch, and seven succinct essays the reader is offered pictorial and narrative insight into how yesterday's society viewed children. - Gail Cooke