Alice Vanderbilt Shepard

Sargent¡¯s consummate skills as a portraitist are evident in this painting of thirteen-year-old Alice Shepard, the great-granddaughter of the industrialist and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt. Here, rapid brushwork, flourishes of rich blacks, dazzling whites, and the pillow¡¯s sumptuous notes of color combine with Sargent¡¯s sensitive treatment of flesh to create a strikingly intimate view of adolescence. Despite the portrait's informality, Sargent reveals the intelligence, contemplative nature, and introspective character that lie beneath the sitter¡¯s beauty. Title Alice Vanderbilt Shepard Creator John Singer Sargent Creator Lifespan 1856/1925 Creator Nationality American Creator Gender male Creator Death Place London, England Creator Birth Place Florence, Italy Date Created 1888 Physical Dimensions w55.9 x h76.4 cm Type paintings Rights Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas Medium Oil on canvas