Man Reading (Nicola d’Inverno)

Born to expatriate American parents in Florence, John Singer Sargent, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury, began his formal artistic training in Rome in the late 1860s. His studies took him to Florence in the early 1870s and later to Paris by the mid-1870s. By the turn of the century, he had become the most sought-after portrait artist in Europe, highly favored by the elite.  

This loosely rendered sketch of a man reading is believed to depict Nicola d’Inverno, Sargent’s longtime manservant, who worked for him from the 1890s until 1917. The painting may have been created at an inn in Purtud, a village in the Italian Alps where Sargent and his friends spent several summers between 1904 and 1908.

We wish you a calm Saturday—when you can do whatever you want, including reading a book!  :)

P.S. During one of his visits to Italy, Sargent ... fell in love! The Italian island of Capri, with its electric blue seas, tall limestone cliffs, and white beachside villas, provided a breathtaking location for Sargent’s summer romance. Read the story of Sargent's Capri romance and how it was told through art! For more stories on this American painter, see the articles below.