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Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery
April 2023 Newsletter
an online gallery located in Bodega Bay, California,
with our showroom in Graton, California
open by appointment and online,
call or text 707-875-2911, email Art@BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com

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from Linda Sorensen
available for sale
Linda Sorensen, Point Arena Lighthouse Study
Point Arena Lighthouse Study
oil on linen, 12 x 12

John Singer Sargent, La Carmencita Dancing, 1890 oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent and Spain
now at the Legion of Honor
through May 14

Painting of the Month
Joshua Meador, Walt Disney Studios
Director of Animation Effects1939-1965

Joshua Meador, Park
Park, oil on linen, 22 x 30
(thought to be an early
1950's scene of Sonoma Square)


Sargent and Spain at San Francisco's Legion of Honor
through May 14 ...
by Daniel Rohlfing
Photo of John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent

Most people think of John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) as an American who painted exquisite, larger than life "Edwardian-era" portraits (famous examples - right).

But he was far more. He lived most of his life in Europe. His status as an American expatriate was more an accident of birth. He was born in Florence, studied in Paris, and lived in London. He did come to America to paint portraits and to exhibit and considered Boston as his American home.

Portrait of Madame X Metropolitan Museum, NY
Portrait of
Madame X

Metropolitan Museum, NY
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt White House  Collection
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt
White House
Collection
Lady Agnew of Locknaw National Gallery of Scotland
Lady Agnew of Locknaw
National Gallery
of Scotland

John's American parents soon moved from Florence to London. His mother exposed him to museums and churches throughout Europe feeling such experiences would serve as a core of his education. Sargent studied mostly in Paris. On his first attempt, he passed the rigorous exam required by the École des Beaux-Arts. His early interest was landscape painting, not portraiture. But he thought the best way to gain entry into the Paris Salon and promote a successful art career was to do portraits for well-heeled clients. As a portraitist, he gained both his fame and fortune.

Sargent never married. He is believed to have had numerous relationships with men, including Oscar Wilde who was his London neighbor for several years. Of course, society's attitudes toward homosexuality in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were problematic for a prominent public person to navigate. As a consequence, Sargent seemed a very private person to many. He was comfortable painting Jews and Gypsies when others were not. He was kind, both personally and artistically to all kinds of minorities. He seemed to understand and share their "otherness."

Artistically, Sargent lived at a time when the art world was focused in turn on Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism while he remained true to his own version of Realism. He was a friend of Claude Monet who was 16 years older. Sargent visited Monet in Giverny and later met him in England. During that visit, he created a painting of Monet painting near a wood. Sargent indeed had his critics. Pissarro once said of Sargent, "He is not an enthusiast but rather an adroit performer."
By the time of his death in 1925 at the age of 69, he was considered anachronistic, a relic of the Gilded Age. He died in London at his home in Chelsea. He is buried in Woking, Surrey, England about 20 miles outside London.

John Singer Sargent loved Spain. Over three decades, he visited Spain again and again, often remaining for months. He was fascinated with the country, especially the Spain far off the well trodden tourist path.

This exhibition has seven facets, each showing how John Singer Sargent was taken with Spain.

Prior to coming to the Legion of Honor, this exhibition was featured at the
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. This is their brief promo video.
Studying the Spanish Masters

In 1879, John Singer Sargent traveled to Spain to study the Spanish painters El Greco, Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya. Although the work of these artists was over two centuries old, Sargent saw modern qualities in their work and absorbed their inspiration. His teacher in Paris, Carolus-Duran, advised young Sargent, "Velázquez, Velázquez, Velázquez, ceaselessly study Velázquez." Singer was drawn to Velázquez for his realism and command of tonal values.

In Madrid, Sargent registered many times as a copyist at the Museo del Prado where he painted in the galleries looking up at works by El Greco, and Velázquez. He also studied a fresco by Goya in a chapel just outside the city center of Madrid.

One of the paintings Sargent admired was The Needlewoman (c1640-50) by Diego Velázquez. Singer admired Velázquez's fluid brushwork and careful use of soft light and deep shadow, qualities evident in this unfinished portrayal of a young woman intent on her handiwork. Like Sargent, Velázquez was an innovative painter of portraits. In Velázquez's day, he was the court painter of Philip IV in Madrid.


Diego Velázquez, The Needlewoman 1640-50
National Gallery of Art, Washington,D.C,
Architecture and Gardens
At the age of 12, young John Singer Sargent visited Spain with his parents. At that early age, he was captivated by Spanish architecture. He sketched part of the Alhambra palace in Granada. At the age of 23, he returned to Spain's southern region of Andalusia and the hilltop city of Toledo. He studied its richly decorated buildings and archaeological objects of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty (1230-1492).
John Singer Sargent, Alhambra Patio de los Arrayanas, 1879,  oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Alhambra Patio de los Arrayanas, 1879,
oil on canvas, Private Collection


John Singer Sargent, Santa Maria La Blanca, Toledo, 1879 oil on panel, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Santa Maria La Blanca, Toledo, 1879
oil on panel, Private Collection

Alhambra Patio de lost Arrayanas is Sargent's earliest oil of Alhambra, a Muslim palace built by the Nasrid dynasty which ended in 1492. He focused on the center of the facade, with its dark receding passageway. The outside areas are blurred in the bright sunlight and heat of the Mediterranean sun.

Santa Maria La Blanca, Toledo is a scene from a medieval synagogue in Toledo, built in a Christian Kingdom, designed by Muslim architects for a Jewish house of worship, a relatively tolerent diversity not to be found in the rest of Europe at the time.

John Singer Sargent, A Marble Fountain at Aranjez, c1912 oil on canvas, Collection of Sharon P. and John D. Rockefeller
John Singer Sargent, A Marble Fountain at Aranjez, c1912, oil on canvas, Collection of Sharon P. and John D. Rockefeller
Sargent often enjoyed gardens of summer palaces. A Marble Fountain at Aranjuez is just south of Madrid. Sargent entered the following notation in his travel diary, "The place is perfectly charming, grand gardens with cavernous avenues and fountains and statues, long neglected - good natured friendly people - lunch in the open air under arbors of roses."
John Singer Sargent,Pool in the Garden of La Granja, c1903 watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Pool in the Garden of La Granja, c1903, watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
Throughout his numerous visits to Spain, he held a fascination with Spanish design and ornamentation. The formal gardens provided subjects for many of his watercolors, be they in churchyards or royal palaces. Not only did he paint these fountains and sculptures, he would buy photographs of them and even bought his own portable camera, which became a life-long hobby.
John Singer Sargent, A Garden Vase, c1903,  watercolor over graphite, Frye Art Museum, Seattle
John Singer Sargent, A Garden Vase, c1903,
watercolor over graphite, Frye Art Museum, Seattle
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Fountain, 1912 watercolor over graphite on white wove paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Fountain, 1912
watercolor over graphite on white wove paper,
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
John Singer Sargent, Alhambra Garden, Granada, 1912 watercolor over graphite, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Alhambra Garden, Granada, 1912
watercolor over graphite, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent,The Loggia, View at the Generalife, 1912 watercolor over graphite, Aberdeen City Council, Archives, Gallery and Museums, Aberdeen, Scotland
John Singer Sargent,The Loggia, View at the Generalife, 1912
watercolor over graphite, Aberdeen City Council, Archives, Gallery and Museums, Aberdeen, Scotland
The Land and its People
When it comes to John Singer Sargent's paintings of Spain's land and its people, I am reminded of the travel paintings of Winslow Homer and his paintings of the Caribbean. Both artists were much more than tourists. Sargent painted working farmers and farm animals which people relied upon for their livelihood. He included the Roma citizens, a minority group on the margin of Spanish society. They were a group of "gypsies" who lived in the Sacromonte neighborhood who made their homes in whitewashed caves built into the steep hillside. "Gypsies" is a negative term, rooted in the mistaken belief that "gypsies" originated from Egypt. Like Winslow Homer, Sargent believed that the stories of people on the margins were worth telling and painting.
John Singer Sargent, Albert de Belleroche, c1882, oil on canvas, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Centeer at Colorado College
John Singer Sargent, Albert de Belleroche, c1882, oil on canvas,
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College

John Singer Sargent, Chorrojumo (Mariano Fernandez Santiago) watercolor over graphite, c1879, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Chorrojumo (Mariano Fernandez Santiago)
watercolor over graphite, c1879, Private Collection


This painting is of Sargent's painting friend, Welsh-born Albert de Belleroche. Here, Albert sits for a portrait wearing a Spanish cloak and hat collected by Singer during his 1879 trip to Spain.

The man in the other portrait was Sargent's hired guide in Grenada. He was nicknamed "Chorrojumo" (translated as stream of smoke). He was known for posing for painters and tourists. He told colorful stories as he escorted tourists around Alhambra. Here he is wearing Andalusian attire, an embellished jacket, pants, sash and "catite" hat.
John Singer Sargent, Street at Campródon, Spain, 1892 watercolor over graphite with gouache, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Street at Campródon, Spain, 1892
watercolor over graphite with gouache, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Turkey in a Courtyard, 1879-1880 oil on panel, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Turkey in a Courtyard, 1879-1880
oil on panel, Private Collection

In the summer of 1892, Sargent traveled to northeast Spain to visit his mother and sister who were vacationing in the small town of Campródon in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Here he paints a curving street leading to a medieval bridge over the Ter River.

John Singer Sargent, Group of Spanish Convalescent Soldiers, c 1908, watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Group of Spanish Convalescent Soldiers,
c 1908, watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Group of Spanish Convalescent Soldiers #2, c 1908, watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Group of Spanish Convalescent Soldiers #2,
c 1908, watercolor over graphite, Private Collection

These two watercolors show soldiers at the Royal Hospital in Santiago de Compostela, a city in northwest Spain. The city is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage destination, thought to be the burial site of Saint James the Apostle.

During his 1903 visit, Sargent observed these men convalescing or working in the sunlit courtyard. Their red pants, hats and espandrilles identify them as infantry from the Garrison of Galicia.

Why is Sargent interested in painting patients in hospitals? I feel he was motivated, like Winslow Homer, in telling visual stories. It wasn't Sargent's way of making a living. His major contribution was his society portraits. But painting landscapes and visiting foreign lands and painting common people, that's what he enjoyed.

John Singer Sargent, Blind Musicians, 1912 watercolor over graphite, Aberdeen City Council, Archives, Gallery and Museums, Aberdeen, Scotland
John Singer Sargent, Blind Musicians, 1912, watercolor over graphite,
Aberdeen City Council, Archives, Gallery and Museums, Aberdeen, Scotland
John Singer Sargent, Camprodón, 1892 watercolor over graphite, with gouache, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Compounder, 1892, watercolor over graphite, with gouache, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Courtyard, Casa del Chapiz, 1912-13 oil on canvas, Myron Kunin Collection of American Art, Minneapolis, MN
John Singer Sargent, Courtyard, Casa del Chaps, 1912-13, oil on canvas, Myron Canyon Collection of American Art, Minneapolis, MN
In Courtyard, Casa del Chaps, Sargent documents a once architecturally significant residence which has fallen into a state of disrepair. The balcony above gives us a clue that this space was once used for more lofty purposes. But as the building fell into disrepair, this airy enclosure is now used for a pair of pack mules, some tools and baskets.
John Singer Sargent, Cuadra (Stable), c1903 watercolor, Museo Scrolla, Madrid, Spain
John Singer Sargent, Corda (Stable), c1903, watercolor, Museo Sorolla, Madrid, Spain
This painting shows John Singer Sargent's love of painting working animals. Imagine, the preeminent society portrait painter of his time painting a lowly donkey in its stable.
John Singer Sargent, Driving in Spaion, 1903 watercolor with graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Driving in Spain, 1903, watercolor with graphite, Private Collection

Bear in mind that Singer did not catch a flight to Madrid, nor did he tour the countryside in a limo. Travel took time and was not easy nor reliable. In Driving in Spain, we see what Sargent would have seen during much of his travels. The covering of their wagon is visible in the upper left corner.
John Singer Sargent,Granada, 1912 watercolor over graphite, with wax crayon, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
John Singer Sargent, Granada, 1912, watercolor over graphite, with wax crayon, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
John Singer Sargent, Hospital at Granada, 1912 oil on canvas, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
John Singer Sargent, Hospital at Granada, 1912, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Hospitals are not tourist destinations, but Sargent was drawn to paint Renaissance buildings in the context of their current state. Hospital at Granada shows a sunlit porch outside the Hospital of Saint John of God in Granada located in a 16th century building, with graceful arches and paintings. An art critic said of this painting that it possesses "deep notes of joy and despair."
John Singer Sargent, Sierra Nevada, 1912 oil on canvas, Collection of Barty Smith
John Singer Sargent, Sierra Nevada (southeast of Granada) 1912, oil on canvas, Collection of Barty Smith
John Singer Sargent, Stable at Cuenca, c1903 oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Stable at Cuenca, c1903, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Women at Work, 1912 oil on canvas, Private Collection, Seattle, WA
John Singer Sargent, Women at Work, 1912, oil on canvas, Private Collection, Seattle, WA
the Isle of Majorca

In 1908, John Singer Sargent made two trips to to the island of Majorca, a brief trip during the summer and an extended return visit in the Fall. On the second trip, Sargent was accompanied by his frequent travel companions, his sister Emily and their friend, Eliza Wedgwood. Eliza was a member of the Wedgwood china, porcelain and luxury accessories company. Emily Sargent, like her brother, was a serious painter in her own right, known mostly for he watercolor landscapes.

Majorca's many sights were stunning. It's mountainous northern coast, ports, fishing villages, and fertile countryside excited Sargent artistically. During his first trip, Sargent remained pretty much in the capitol city of Palma. In the fall, Sargent and his travel companions rented a villa in Valldemossa in the Tramuntana mountains and ventured into the Majorcan countryside.

John Singer Sargent, Miss Eliza Wedgwood & Miss Sargent Sketching , watercolor with gouache, c1908, Tate, Britain, London
John Singer Sargent, Miss Eliza Wedgwood & Miss Sargent Sketching , watercolor with gouache, c1908, Tate Britain, London
John Singer Sargent, Eliza Wedgwood, c1908-09, watercolor over graphite, The Hevrdejs Collection
John Singer Sargent, Eliza Wedgwood, c1908-09,
watercolor over graphite, The Hevrdejs Collection

John Singer Sargent, Mosquito Nets, 1908 oil on canvas, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
John Singer Sargent, Mosquito Nets, 1908, oil on canvas, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI

Emily Sargent and Eliza Wedgwood are pictured in Mosquito Nets enjoying a leisurely moment at their villa in the mountain village of Valldemosa. All three of this traveling group were avid readers. Eliza wrote, "We all took books with us, but John's library was always the biggest." For Sargent and his traveling companions, Majorca was a near paradise. It had its many plusses, but on the minus side, it had mosquitos. Here, Emily had devised their mosquito netting so she and Eliza could enjoy reading, except for the buzzing.

John Singer Sargent, Francisco Bernareggi, c1908 oil on canvas, Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Kansas City, MO
John Singer Sargent, Francisco Bernareggi, c1908
oil on canvas, Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Kansas City, MO
John Singer Sargent, Gathering Blossoms, Valldemosa, Majorca, c1908, oil on canvas, 1908, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
John Singer Sargent, Gathering Blossoms, Valldemosa, Majorca, c1908, oil on canvas, 1908, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
Francisco Bernareggi was an Argentinian living in Majorca. He was a painter who shared Sargent's passion for painting the island's landscape. The pair painted together and here, Francisco sat for a portrait.
John Singer Sargent, Majorcan Fishermen, 1908 oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Majorcan Fishermen, 1908
oil on canvas, Private Collection
 John Singer Sargent, Pomegranates, Majorca, 1908 watercolor over graphite, Brooklyn Museum, NY
John Singer Sargent, Pomegranates, Majorca, 1908
watercolor over graphite, Brooklyn Museum, NY
The direct gaze and self assured pose of this Majorcan fisherman captivates. The sun drenched scene and consequent shadows provide an explosion of patterned lights and darks underneath the blues of the water and sky.

Singer loved the challenge of rendering the patchwork of fruit, leaves and tree roots. He studied the island's vegetation like this Pomegranate tree, observations which later helped in detailing his murals at the Boston Library.
John Singer Sargent, A Falucho, 1908 watercolor and gouache over graphite, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH
John Singer Sargent, A Falucho, 1908, watercolor and gouache over graphite, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH
John Singer Sargent, White Ships, 1908 watercolor over graphite, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH
John Singer Sargent, White Ships, 1908, watercolor over graphite, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH
Sargent held a life-long interest in ships and shipping. The two paintings above, White Ships and A Falucho, play with shimmering sunlight dancing off the water. Bright white rippled reflections capture and magnify the hulls while ships masts and rigging cast a crisscross of shadows.
John Singer Sargent, Majorca, 1908 watercolor over graphite, Marqués de la Romana Collection, Madrid, Spain
John Singer Sargent, Majorca, 1908, watercolor over graphite, Marqués de la Romana Collection, Madrid, Spain

This view of Majorca's wild northern coast was near the house he rented in the fall of 1908. The villa was on an estate owned by Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator. The archduke hosted many gatherings with artists and writers. His avocation was as a naturalist, and he built mountain paths and viewing platforms to encourage enjoyment of the island's coastline.

John Singer Sargent, Wild Olive Tree Roots, Valldemosa, Majorca, 1908 oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Wild Olive Tree Roots, Valldemosa, Majorca, 1908, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
John Singer Sargent, Study of a Fig Tree, 1908 oil on canvas, McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Boston, MA
John Singer Sargent, Study of a Fig Tree, 1908, oil on canvas, McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Boston, MA
When Sargent was in Majorca in 1908, he was involved in a mural project at the Boston Public Library. Working in oil, this fig tree allowed Sargent an opportunity to study intertwining leaves and varying color combinations. This painting was a study in the use of yellows and greens when depicting foliage.
John Singer Sargent, Horses at Palma, Majorca, 1908, oil on canvas, Private Collection, New York, NYJohn John Singer Sargent, Horses at Palma, Majorca, 1908, oil on canvas, Private Collection, New York, NY
Triumph of Religion
John Singer Sargent, In a Church at Granada, c 1895,  watercolor over graphite,with brown brush,  High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
John Singer Sargent, In a Church at Granada, c 1895,
watercolor over graphite,with brown brush,
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
John Singer Sargent, Saint with Dragon, 1895 watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Saint with Dragon, 1895
watercolor over graphite, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Saint Teresa of Ávila, c1903 watercolor over graphite,  Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
John Singer Sargent, Saint Teresa of Ávila,
c1903 watercolor over graphite,
Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Perhaps a habit he learned in childhood as his mother took him to view the museums and churches of Europe, Sargent was always drawn to the mysticism of religion, especially the type practiced by Spanish Catholics. In a Church at Granada, Sargent shows Saint Bruno of Cologne, part of the altar of the Renaissance church of San Jeronimo in Granada, reaching heavenward.

Saint with Dragon is a relief of Saint Margaret of Antioch, another part of the altar of San Jeronimo in Granada. According to tradition, Margaret was swallowed by the Dragon (Satan), escaping by forcing the Dragon to disgorge her.

Saint Teresa of Ávila
may be of interest to people in Bodega Bay. One of our local sightseeing highlights is the picturesque Catholic church in the inland town of Bodega named St. Teresa of Ávila. The church was photographed by Ansel Adams and just about anyone who passes by with a camera. A glimpse of the church is visible in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. It is located just behind the schoolhouse.

To the left is Sargent's painting of a statue of Saint Teresa of Ávila by sculptor Gregario Fernandez which now sits in a niche in a convent in the historical quarter of the town of Ávila. On October 15 of each year, the statue is marched through the historical quarter of the town.

St. Teresa was a Spanish Carmelite nun and is remembered for being a Spanish mystic and religious reformer. Living in the mid 16th century, she was a leader of the counter-reformation. She stressed and taught the importance of meditation and prayer.
Dance and Music
Sargent was captivated by Spain's dance and music. More than a decade after his 1879 visit, he painted famed Spanish dancer Carmen Dauset Moreno in New York. Moreno was performing under the name of La Carmencita. She toured mostly in Europe, being featured at the Palace Theatre, London, in February 1895 and periodically at the Théâtre des Nouveautés in Paris. She drew large audiencces who loved her bold performances and her revealing costumes scandalously exposing her lower legs.
John Singer Sargent, La Carmencita Dancing, 1890 oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, La Carmencita Dancing, 1890
oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, La Carmencita, 1890 oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neew York
John Singer Sargent, La Carmencita, 1890
oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
John Singer Sargent, Study for Spanish Dancer, 1880-81 watercolor over graphite, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
John Singer Sargent, Study for Spanish Dancer, 1880-81
watercolor over graphite, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
John Singer Sargent, Study for the Spanish Dance, 1879-1880 oil on canvas, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
John Singer Sargent, Study for the Spanish Dance, 1879-1880
oil on canvas, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
During his 1879 trip, Sargent experimented in painting Spanish dancers performing in the open air at night.
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Dancer, 1879-1880 oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Dancer, 1879-1880
oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Dancer, 1879-1880 oil on canvas, Private Collection
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Dancer, 1879-1880
oil on canvas, Private Collection
It is uncertain whether Sargent painted these paintings of a Roma dancer while in Spain or later in his London studio. The dashed brushstrokes of the two fringed shawls have a spontaneous quality, and the world "olé" appears in the background of the golden shawl painting suggesting the immediacy of the performance.
The Spanish Roma People
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Roma Woman, 1879-1882 oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Roma Woman, 1879-1882
oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Sargent spent a great deal of time with the Spanish Roma people during his extended visit to Andalusia. The Roma people made up a significant minority within Spain's diverse population.

The Spanish Romas' roots were in northern India from where they migrated to Europe about a thousand years ago. They arrived in Spain around the 15th century and have since made significant contributions to Spanish culture. But like minorities elsewhere, they have been oppressed, marginalized and subjected to painful stereotypes within Spain and beyond.

Sargent's treatment of the Roma people was much kinder than depictions by other artists. His willingness to paint dignified images of the Roma people and their culture gives us a window into the Roma people, and also a window into the heart and soul of John Singer Sargent. Throughout his career, he was, demonstrably and consistently sympathetic to "the other."

Cristiana Grigore, a Roma woman and scholar, said of Spanish Roma Woman "There is something in her expression -- not quite happy or sad, perhaps lost in a thought, burdened or just tired -- that I have seen in other Roma women."
She goes on, "These complex facial expressions are hard to comprehend and suggest so many untold stories. ... We, the Roma women, have stood in the shadows for too long. Its time for our beauty, talents, and stories to be acknowledged with dignity and agency."
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Roma Dwellling, 1912 oil on canvas, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA
John Singer Sargent, Spanish Roma Dwelling, 1912, oil on canvas, Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

On his final trip to Spain in 1912, Sargent shows the everyday activities of Granada's working classes. In Spanish Roma Dwelling, Sargent uses a brilliant palette to show details of Roma life, including one of their animals in front of their Sacromonte cave home.

Sargent and Spain is at the Legion of Honor through May 14. If you think you know John Singer Sargent from having seen his portraits, please think again. This exhibit allows you to see what was important to him. In Spain, he was left to paint what he wanted to paint, what he thought was worthy of his time and interpretation. Its a museum visit well worth your while.

The Legion of Honor's John Singer Sargent exhibition page | Back to the Top


Gallery Notes
John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent at SF's Legion of Honor
Sargent and Spain
through May 14, 2023
Legion of Honor
in Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave (at Clement St)
San Francisco, CA 9412
Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco
in Bodega Bay
Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery Showroom Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery Showroom
open by appointment only in Bodega Bay or Graton
an exceptional collection of late 19th and
early 20th century paintings by well listed California artists
(including the Joshua Meador Collection, legendary animator for Walt Disney Studios)
http://www.BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com | Call or Text 707-875-2911
email: Art@BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com

Joshua Meador Mendocino Coast
"Mendocino Coast"
Joshua Meador
Linda Sorensen Peak, south of Hopland, CA

Linda Sorensen Paintings

You may meet Linda and view her paintings at her studio in Graton by appointment,
or arrange to see specific paintings at other locations. Linda paints colorful and imaginative
landscapes emphasizing design and influenced by abstraction and Post-Impressionism.

LindaSorensenPaintings.com | 707-875-2911

Linda Sorensen at her easel, photo by John Hershey
Ren Brown
Ren Brown
The Ren Brown Collection
1781 Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay, 94923
707-875-2922 |  rbc4art@renbrown.com
http://www.renbrown.com | Back to the Top
Reb Brown Sign Thumbnail
Jean Warren Sand Harbor Bodega Bay's Jean Warren Watercolors
Bodega Bay resident Jean Warren says her paintings are reflections
of the places she has lived and traveled.
Jean is a Signature member of the National Watercolor Society,
California Watercolor Association and full member of Society of Layerists in Multi-Media.

http://www.JeanWarren.com / 707-875-9240
Jean Warren Watercolor
In the nearby town of Bodega
the fourth Thursday of each month, attend the Bodega Art Walk, with music, discounts, and demos
. Participants include Bodega Art Gallery, Artisans' Co-op Gallery, Jerry Dodrill Photography, Bodega Country Store, Casino Bar & Grill,
Colleen’s Coffee Shop, Crystal Clear, Spirit Play Studios, Happy Place Health Center, Mudd and Gold, Northern Light Surf Shop, and Seagull Antiques. 
Dodrill Gallery, Bodega, CA Dodrill Gallery
17175 Bodega Highway, Bodega CA 94922
Featuring famed photographer Jerry Dodrill,
world adventurer and rock climber and his artful photogaphy
... https://jerrydodrill.photoshelter.com/p/page2 | 707-377-4732
Photo@JerryDodrill.com| Back to the Top
Jerry Dodrill, Dodrill Gallery, Bodega, CA
Artisans' Co-op
featuring the talents of local artists ... photography of Francesca Scalpi,
paintings, textiles, jewelry, ceramic and wood art

17175 Bodega Highway, Bodega CA 94922
... http://www.artisansco-op.com| 707-876-9830
| Back to the Top
Bodega Art Gallery
BODEGA ART GALLERY
gallerist J. Darling Dunivin
featuring Tom Rissacher, Henry White, Stephen McMillan and others
17255 Bodega Hwy, Bodega CA 94922
bodegaartgal@yahoo.com

Bodega Ary Gallery sign


What's nearby in Sonoma County?


Sebastopol Center for the Arts

IN SEBASTOPOL - Sebastopol Center for the Arts
... see website for on-line activities sebarts.org
home of Sonoma County's Art @ the Source and Art Trails
282 S. High Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472  707.829.4797
T
hursdays through Sundays 10:00am to 4:00pm

Corricks Kevin Brown
Corrick's Keven Brown
IN SANTA ROSA
Corrick's Art Trails Gallery | http://www.corricks.com/arttrailsgallery
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 | Contact:: http://www.corricks.com/contact-us

Corrick's has been a Santa Rosa Treasure since 1915,
a downtown stationery store serving as the community's "cultural hub."
Corrick's has long supported local artists with its impressive "ART TRAILS GALLERY,"
including paintings by Linda Sorensen.
Corricks offers a number of originals by famed Santa Rosa artist, Maurice Lapp ... (see our August 2017 article)

located on Fourth Street, steps away from Santa Rosa's revitalized town square
and Fourth Street's Russian River Brewery
Corricks
BBHPhoto Dennis Calabi
Dennis Calabi
IN SANTA ROSA- Calabi Gallery | http://www.calabigallery.com


456 Tenth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 | email: info@calabigallery.com | 707-781-7070
Famed master conservator Dennis Calabi brings his rare knowledge and experience
to present a tasteful and eclectic array of primarily 20th century artwork.

http://www.calabigallery.com | Back to the Top
Easton Crustacean Dancing Dream 144
Easton, Crustacean Dancing Dream, American Alabaster
Annex Galleries Santa Rosa IN Santa Rosa - The Annex Galleries
specializing in 19th, 20th, and 21st century American and European fine prints
The Annex Galleries is a member of the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA).
http://www.AnnexGalleries.com | Back to the Top
Rik Olson

IN GRATON - Graton Gallery
OPEN Weekends, see website for up to date information
home of many of Sonoma County's best artists
http://www.gratongallery.com
Sally Baker, Tim Hayworth, Bruce K. Hopkins,
Rik Olson, Susan Proehl, Sandra Rubin, Tamra Sanchez, Mylette Welch
Graton Gallery | (707) 829-8912  | artshow@gratongallery.com
9048 Graton Road, Graton CA 95444 | Open Saturday and Sunday check website

Christopher Queen Gallery IN DUNCANS MILLS - Christopher Queen Galleries
3 miles east of Hwy 1 on Hwy 116 on the Russian River
http://www.christopherqueengallery.com |707-865-1318| Back to the Top
Paul Mahder Gallery Thumbnail IN Healdsburg - Paul Mahder Gallery
http://www.paulmahdergallery.com

(707) 473-9150 | Info@paulmahdergallery.com
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448 | check for hours
Petaluma Arts Council Art Center

IN PETALUMA - Petaluma Arts Center
"... to celebrate local artists and their contributions and involve the whole community"

Petaluma Center for the Arts

Links to current museum exhibits relevant to Early California Art
The Greater Bay Area
The Walt Disney Family Museum
-- see website for details
This museum tells Walt's story from the early days.
(on the Parade Grounds) 104 Montgomery Street,
The Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129

-- view location on Google Maps
--
Disney Museum Exterior Thumbnail San Francisco
... see website
de Young Museum
Permanent Collection
De Young Museum Thumbnail
San Francisco
closed, see website
California Historical Society


California Historical Society Thumbnail San Francisco
Legion of Honor

... see website
-Permanent European and Impressionist Paintings
San Francisco Legion of Honor Museum
San Francisco
open, see website for details
Contemporary Jewish Museum

San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum Thumbnail Oakland
... see website
Oakland Museum of California

-- ongoing Gallery of California Art
-showcasing over 800 works
from the OMCA's collection
Oakland Museum Thumbnail

San Francisco
SFMOMA

http://www.sfmoma.org

SF Museum of Modern Art

Santa Rosa
...
see website
The Museums of Sonoma County

Sonoma County Museum Thumbnail
Santa Rosa
... see website
Charles M. Schultz Museum

Charles M Schultz Museum Santa Rosa

Moraga
... see website
St Mary's College Museum of Art
Hearst Art Gallery

Hearst Art Gallery Thumbnail
Sonoma
Mission San Francisco de Solano Museum

featuring the famed watercolor paintings
of the California Missions
by Christian Jorgensen
Mission San Francisco de Solano in Sonoma CA Sonoma
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

... see website
551 Broadway, Sonoma CA
(707) 939-7862
Sonoma Museum of Art Exterior Thumb
Ukiah
Grace Hudson Museum

... see website
http://www.gracehudsonmuseum.org
Grace Hudson Museum

Bolinas
Bolinas Museum

... see website
featuring their permanent collection,
including Ludmilla and Thadeus Welch,
Arthur William Best, Jack Wisby,
Russell Chatham, Alfred Farnsworth
.

Elizabeth Holland McDaniel Bolinas Embarcadero thumbnail
Walnut Creek
... see website
The Bedford Gallery, Lesher
Center for the Arts
Lesher Ctr for the Arts Walnut Creek CA San Jose
San Jose Museum of Art

... see website
approximately 2,000 20th & 21st
century artworks including paintings, sculpture,
new media, photography, drawings, prints, and artist books.
San Jose Museum of Art Thumbnail
Monterey
Monterey Museum of Art

... see website
Ongoing exhibitions ...
Museums Permanent Collection
including William Ritschel, Armin Hansen
and E. Charlton Fortune

http://www.montereyart.org
Monterey Museum of Art Palo Alto
... see website
Cantor Art Center at Stanford University
Cantor Art Center at Stanford University

Monterey
Salvador Dali Museum

prepurchased tickets required, ... see website

Salvador Dali Museum Monterey Sacramento
Crocker Art Museum
... see websites
http://www.crockerartmuseum.org
Sacramento
Capitol Museum

... see website
Governor's Portrait Gallery
Permanent Exhibits

(including one of our galllery's favorite artists,
Robert Rishell's portrait of Gov. Ronald Reagan
Capitol Museum Sacramento Thumbnail Stockton's Treasure!
The Haggin Museum

... see website
-Largest exhibition of Albert Bierstadt paintings anywhere,
plus the works of Joseph Christian Leyendecker,
Norman Rockwell's mentor.
see our Newsletter article, April 2011
Haggin Museum Stockton
Southern California (and Arizona) (for all museums below, see websites for hours and protocols.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Museum of Art

Art of the Americas, Level 3:
Artworks of paintings and sculptures
from the colonial period to World War II—
a survey of of art and culture
& "Levitated Mass"
Irvine
UCI IMCA
(University of California, Irvine
Institute and Museum of California Art)

(formerly The Irvine Museum)


Irvine Museum Thumbnail
Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Art Thumbnail Orange

Hilbert Museum, Chapman University

Hilbert Museum Chapman University Orange CA
San Diego
San Diego Museum of Art
Permanent Collection

San Diego Museum of Art Thumbnail Pasadena
Norton Simon Museum
-an Impressive Permanent collection,
European impressionist
and post impressionist paintings
See our newsletter from March 2014
Norton Simon Museum Pasadena
Los Angeles
California African American Art Museum
adjacent to the LA Coliseum
(see our newsletter articleof their
Ernie Barnes Exhibition September 2019)
California African American Art Museum San Marino (near Pasadena)
The Huntington Library

American Art Collection
Paintings by John Singer Sargent,
Edward Hopper, Robert Henri,
Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran,
William Keith, Mary Cassatt,
Thomas Hart Benton and many more.

Huntington Library Art Collection Pasadena
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Art Museum
an excellent sampling of
Artists of the American West
Phoenix Art Museum

Palm Springs
Palm Springs Art Museum

Permanent Collection
American 19th century Landscape Painting

Palm Springs Art Museum Thumbnail
& Beyond
Honolulu, HI
Honolulu Museum
(see our Newsletter article
from February, 2015)


Honolulu Museum of Art Kamuela, HI (Big Island)
Issacs Art Center
65-1268 Kawaihae Road
Kamuela, HI  96743
(See our Dec '16 article "Hawaii's Paul Gauguin," 
modernist Madge Tennent, 1889-1972)

Isaacs Art Center
Seattle, WA
Seattle Art Museum
( see our article Mar 2018
French and American Paintings )
Seattle Art Museum Portland, OR
Portland Art Museum

Permanent Collection: American Art
Portland Art Museum Thumbnail
Washington D.C.
The Renwick Gallery

Permanent ... Grand Salon Paintings
from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Renwick Gallery Washington DC Chicago, IL
Art Institute of Chicago
Permanent collection:
the Impressionists
Art Institute of Chicago Thumbnail
Cedar Rapids, IA
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
Grant Wood: In Focus

is an ongoing permanent collection exhibition.
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Bentonville, AR
Crystal Bridges
Museum of American Art

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Washington D.C.
The National Gallery

Permanent collection
American Paintings
Tha National Gallery Washington DC Thumbnail Philadelphia , PA
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art Thumbnail
Philadelphia , PA
Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Campus
Barnes Foundation Campus Philadelphia Brooklyn, NY
The Brooklyn Museum
American Art
Permanent Collection
The Brooklyn Museum Thumbnail
New York , NY
The Whitney Museum of American Art

The largest selection of works by Edward Hopper
The Whitney Museum of American Art New York New York, NY
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Its extensive collection of American Art
Metropolitan Museum New York
Detroit, MI
Detroit Institute of Arts
American Art
Permanent Collection
Detroit Institute of Arts Ottawa, Ontario
National Gallery of Canada
Canada National Gallery of Art
Denver, CO
Denver Art Museum
Denver Art Museum Exterior

Boston, MA
Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery is mostly online. We maintain a gallery showroom (by appointment only) at the Atelier One artist studios building in Graton, California, sharing space with Linda Sorensen's artist studio.

Our newsletter includes reports/articles about artists, museum exhibits, and other arts subjects, often with videos and links.

We observe safe mask wearing and social distance protocols. We do not transact financial business or collect personal data via our website. All client contact/information is via phone, text, email or in person by appointment.

Daniel Rohlfing
Daniel Rohlfing
For an appointment, email or call ... Art@BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com / 707-875-2911

To view and purchas paintings from us, you may ...



Visit our gallery showroom in GRATON, CA ...


Have us bring selected works to your home ...
Call or email for a an appointment. (up to 200 miles from Bodega Bay).


Or, purchase from our website.
We offer FedEx shipping (usually included in price) in the U.S. for major purchases. 707-875-2911.

Our Gallery Showroom and Linda Sorensen's Studio in Graton

Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery specializes in Historic California Paintings 1850-1950 and the contemporary art of Linda Sorensen.  Our gallery showroom and Linda's artist studio are open by appointment.  We ask that visitors wear masks and practice social distancing. Email, text or call us for an appointment.  As our collection is larger than what we have on display at any one time, we want to learn your interests and preferences. After listening to your wishes, we can have the paintings you want to view ready for your visit.

Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery and Linda Sorensen's studio
Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery .com / Linda Sorensen Paintings . com
Art@BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com / LindaSorensen@Earthlink.net  707-875-2911
Atelier One, Studio 5, 2860 Bowen St, Graton, CA 95444 (not a mailing address)

If you wish to sell a painting to us ...

At present, we are acquiring few paintings. We are interested in considering works by Joshua Meador, or exceptional paintings by a few other Historic California artists. We do not do miscellaneous consignments but do represent artist estates. We do not provide appraisal services.

DO NOT CALL AND EXPECT A THOUGHTFUL ANSWER REGARDING YOUR PAINTING (especially, do not leave a voicemail message requiring us to phone you), ... INSTEAD, Please EMAIL US (Art@BodegaBayHeritageGallery.com) along with a high resolution jpeg image of your painting. Include the name of the artist, its title, dimensions and condition. Please include any history or provenance. Rather than responding off the cuff, in a timely fashion we will read your note, do our homework, and write back and let you know if we wish to acquire your painting or we may give you our our ideas on how best to market your painting through other resources.