Sargent's mastery lay in his ability to make complex painting appear effortless—a quality known as sprezzatura . He often worked with large brushes and a full palette, using oil and turpentine freely to "draw with a brush".
: His technical facility was so great that some critics accused him of being a mere "human camera," capturing superficial appearances without a deeper personal vision. John Singer Sargent
: Sargent was deeply influenced by Claude Monet and the Impressionists, though he remained distinct from them. He was particularly adept at capturing the way light falls across objects and through atmospheric layers. The Empathy of John Singer Sargent's Portraits - The Easel Sargent's mastery lay in his ability to make
: Despite the look of ease, Sargent was a tireless perfectionist. He would often paint a section, find it unsatisfactory, scrape it down to a "shapeless mass," and start again until he achieved the desired effect. : Sargent was deeply influenced by Claude Monet