John Singer Sargent: A Commodification Of Art

commodification of art. The most prevalent arguments were the debates of aesthetics, traditionalists versus the avant-garde. Traditionalists valued realism, technique, and the use of perspective which was scene in historical paintings and portraits. In comparison, avant-garde focused on a deliberate change of style which included impressionism, and unnatural use of color. Although, neither side of the debate is clear cut. Many traditionalists experimented with the aspects of traditional painting while many avant-garde advocates retained different ideas on the amount of change that should be imposed. The idea of good art was often determined by the critics who maintained pre-conceived notions of what art should look like. Their opinions
and ties to specific artist furthered the debate of aesthetics as critics oftened sided with the Academy. Furthermore, the act of the impressionist sponsoring many different shows displayed that the government did not have complete control of the sale of art. With dealers, and artists displaying their art without the Academy was representative of a cultural and economic evolution. The Reacting Game was an excellent approach to historical thinking and provided insight into the society and culture of 1888-1889. Using this technique players are forced to enter into the mindset of their character within 1888-1889. In addition, players can recognize the amount of stress that was on the relationships between artists, critics, dealers, and the Academy as well as the intricate structure of the art community. The Academy was especially restrictive when displaying their idea of good art. while the avant-garde was continually challenging their definition and finding ways to display their art to grab the attention of the public. The game displayed the reconstruction of cultural hierarchy throughout the nineteenth. As art was changing and being challenged so was society. While the Academy was grasping to the ideals of a traditional style, aiming to keep historical paintings at the forefront of good art, the government was seeking to confirm its republican position. The reacting game aided in grasping the ongoing struggle being experienced throughout the century. The historical art of the period displayed a sense of national pride in addition to the pride of class that can be seen through the avant-garde. For example, the Salon's winner of 1888 was Edouard Detaille's The Dream which represented the national military pride felt throughout France. The Dream was representative of Academies views and the hierarchy of art. While the challenge brought forth by the avant-garde suggests a change of society. The character of John Singer Sargent was particularly interesting as it required an understanding of both traditional and impressionist art.
He was an American artist who had study under Carolus-Duran and attended the Barbizon School of art. He began by painting en plein air as inspired by impressionist artists although he later found his passion in portraitures. He had a some success in previous salons and showed in 1879 and through 1882. His passion for portrait yielded a highly lucrative career in portraits which displayed the personality and character of the sitters. He did face controversy after his portrait Madame X which led him to relocate to England to improve his standing in the art community. Within the game Sargent was tasked with making sales, receiving a critic ticket, improve the status of portraits on the hierarchy, and becoming a lifetime member of the Academy. Towards the end of the game Sargent had been elected a lifetime member of the Academy as two seats were open, and sold two paintings. Although he was not able to complete all of his objectives he was overall successful. The Reacting game enlightened me to the intricate structure of French society and how symbolic the art community was of the overall cultural transition. It also helped improve my research skills as I was required to analysis the deeper meaning behind Sargent's artwork. Additionally, my public speaking was improved as I attempted to convince the Academy to make me a lifetime member of
the Academy and promote the status of portraits. During my speech I was often asked to further explain Sargent's art and his intentions in creating them which helped to improve my debating skills. The skills I acquired during the game have helped me in other Reacting games and prepared me for the work that would needed to succeed in the game as well as, improved my general research routine. It allowed me look deeper into the meaning of the information I researched and acknowledge the bias, and look further than the broad meaning of the information. During the process of the game I learned I am more capable of handing public speaking situations and can respond in a calm manor when questioned. I enjoyed the ambiguity of Sargent's style, it allowed me to play to the bias of the academy as well as other artists within the game. Although I would've enjoyed a character with varied types of art as opposed to mainly portraits. The Reacting Game was incredibly fun however it would be difficult to play the game without fully participating. Without contacting many of the other players and deeply researching your character as well as his art it would make the game difficult to manage. I attempted to fully participate as I made contact with both of the dealers, many of the artists, as well as a few critics. Additionally, I prepared by using Khan Academy to help find analyses of Sargent's paintings as well as biographies of Sargent to pinpoint his personality and play correctly. I also used different websites that held galleries of his paintings to quickly filter through his art to find the ones that would be accepted. I read most of the game book to improve my knowledge of art and the transition of art up to the nineteenth century as well as to gain insight into other character who would be beneficial to my goals. If I could play the game over I would talk to more critics, and circulate the salon better to sell more paintings. I believe I could have done better if I had spoken more to promote the status of portraits as well. Ultimately, the effect of the Reacting Game positively improved the historical understanding of the players. It displayed a connection between the art community and the society of the period. The similarities between the game and the historical outcome of the 1889 Salon provided an insight into the cultural hierarchy of the nineteenth century that would not have been apparent through a lecture. The larger issues debated within the art community became more clear as the game continued and they became more important. As a result of the game my ability to research has been improved which is something I can use in the future. In addition, my public speaking skills were also refined as the game progressed and I was required to speak my characters opinions. In essence, the Reacting Game not only improved my understanding of historical thinking, but helped my perception cultural hierarchies as a larger part of historical transitions.