Unlikely link between legendary artist and small English village explored in art exhibition

West Australian

2 days ago

Just days after coming face-to-face with one of John Singer Sargent's most breathtaking paintings, Lady Agnew Of Lochnaw, I find myself in the heart of the English Cotswolds getting a left-of-field glimpse into the renowned American artist.
I'm at the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery, where an intimate exhibition marking the centenary of Sargent's death explores how this quaint Worcestershire village played a surprisingly crucial role in his artistic development.
After the explosion of controversy of his portrait Madame X at the Paris Salon of 1884 (which practically tipped Paris high society on its head), Sargent came to England to seek refuge from the chaos.
At the time, Broadway was becoming a creative hub for both American and British artists, and it wasn't long before Sargent was drawn to its picturesque charm alongside friends Edwin Austin Abbey and Francis Davis Millet.
Unbound by the societal pressures of Paris, Sargent began experimenting with light, colour, and composition. It was here in Broadway, while residing at Farnham House, the home of Millet, that he painted some of his most celebrated, transformative works.
But unlike the masterpiece I saw a few days ago at National Galleries Scotland, the paintings hanging before me today are works rarely seen by the public, with a personal edge to them — mostly depictions of Sargent's closest loved ones.
Starting with an affectionate tone, the exhibition opens with heartfelt portraits of Sargent's younger sisters Emily and Violet.
His portrait of Alice Barnard, wife of illustrator Frederick Barnard, is a masterclass in textural depth, and a true feast for the eyes for those who view it in person. She stands tall and proud in a voluminous gown, rendered with brushstrokes that swirl through an array of greys and whites.
'The Barnards, along with their daughters Polly and Dolly, the models for Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, were among the first of the group of friends to arrive in Broadway in the summer of 1885,' reads a plaque next to the painting.
Sargent's oil depiction of Polly and Dolly lighting lanterns at dusk was painted during his time at Broadway and was inspired by the impressionists of the time, including Claude Monet.
It would go on to become a highly influential work, not just for the artist himself, but for the English art scene to which he was contributing.
Michael Shane Neal, chairman of the Portrait Society of America, notes: 'He exhibited the piece in London in 1887 and it quickly became a sensation. The English critics had refused to widely celebrate French Impressionism until this moment, when they found satisfaction from an American artist, painting in a French quasi-impressionist style, in England!'
Of course, no John Singer Sargent exhibition would be complete without works depicting his beloved friend (and dare I say, muse) Flora Priestley. Lifelong friends, the pair shared a strong connection, and Sargent painted her throughout the 1800s.
Two strikingly different portraits of Flora sit side by side on display, painted between 1885 and 1889, and in 1889 respectively. The latter — described as the most 'highly evolved' of Sargent's portraits of Priestley — is rendered in a fluid, vibrant style that exemplifies the development of his technique, which took London by storm in the early 1890s.
In addition to the oil paintings that fill the intimate gallery walls are personal items of the late great painter in cabinets — his original palette, manufactured by C. Roberson & Co of London (which remain in business to this day) and a selection of his paintbrushes.
'The exhibition is small but beautiful, bringing to life the artist's family and close friends at a time when his career seemed in jeopardy,' said Sargent's great-nephew Richard Ormond.
'His summers in Broadway revived his creative energies and set him on a new course. He painted the people who mattered to him in highly individual and touching portraits that reflect the influence of French progressive art.'
While most people look to blockbuster galleries in capital cities — like the Louvre or the Met — for breathtaking art, sometimes it's in a quiet English village that you unexpectedly encounter it, woven into the fabric of an artist's personal journey. A leading one of his generation, at that.
+ Megan French was a guest of Albatross Tours. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.
+ A visit to Broadway is included in Albatross Tours' Best of British. The 17-day tour starts and finishes in London, and visits Leeds Castle in Kent, Stonehenge and Salisbury, Bath, Glastonbury, Bristol and Tintern Abbey, Chester, the Lake District's Windemere and Grasmere, Gretna Green, Edinburgh and Alnwick Castle, Whitby and other spots in Yorkshire, Chatsworth and Stratford-upon-Avon, and Windsor. But it is at a slower pace, with a four-night stop, three of three nights, a two-night stop, and only one of one night. Travel is in a first-class coach with a tour manager, driver and local guides. The price includes 27 meals. Prices for 2026 are to be confirmed, but the price in 2025 was $13,347 per person, twin share, and $16,547 for solo travellers. albatrosstours.com.au and 0734 974 996 or 07 3221 5353
+ John Singer Sargent and his Circle is at Broadway Museum and Art Gallery, supported by the Ashmolean Museum, until July 19, 2025. Open Monday to Saturday 10-4.30pm
+ Ticket prices are; adult £10 (or £16 for a guided tour), 65years+, concessions and students £7, and under-16s free. To book online, visit
https://www.broadwaymuseum.org.uk/product/john-singer-sargent-and-his-circle-2/