This is a fascinating set of biographies, not so much of John Singer Sargent, but of several of his subjects. The splendid writing takes you right into the high celebrity drama of the gilded age, and rounds out the painted portraits with all the life details one might want.

I hope that the actual printed publication is lavishly illustrated, as I admit I spent a great deal of time looking for the portraits and for any further imagery of the subjects. Particularly in reference to Lucia Fairchild. I also wonder at some of the author's choices when it comes to Fairchild sisters -- I quite agree that Lucia is probably the more interesting of the two, but given how little time is spent on Sally, it's really hard to tell.

Nonetheless , a wonderful read -- vibrant and illuminating both of art history and the lives of gilded age women.

advanced reader's copy provided by edelweiss. ( )

I found this pretty dry and the paintings to be a relatively thin premise to hold together four unrelated biographies. I seem to have missed some pretty big details on Elizabeth Chanler because I wasn't staying too focused in spots. ( )

Really enjoyed this delightful and engrossing quartet of womens' lives in the Gilded Age. Lucey's writing is great and the stories she tells are varied and interesting, linked as they are by art and place and time. I took my time reading it to make it last longer. ( )

great stories ( )

First woman, Elsie Singer, portrait https://www.google.com/search?q=the+portrait%2F+elsie+singer+by+sargent&oq=t...:

Second woman, Lucia Fairchild. Although Sargent didn't paint her, only her sister Sally, he had a big influence on her own painting endevour and career.
https://www.isabel.com/gallery/reproduction/s/sargent/om2611.html

Third woman was Elizabeth Chanlor.

All these women were from the most prominent families of their time. All were raised in the utmost privilege and excess of the Gilded age. Sargent rose to prominence by painting all the movers and shakers of the day. Although he never painted Lucia Fairchild, he was integral to her own career and success as an artist in her own right. He painted her sister Sally multiple times. If anyone proves the old adage, "money can't buy happiness, it is these women. Their stories were absolutely fascinating, their lives not without heartache and torment.

The fourth woman was Isabelle Stewart Gardner and her story was the most fulfilling, her travels, the art she collected. She may not have been beautiful but she was one smart and headstrong woman. This book is meticulously researched, as the author acknowledged they left so many papers, letters, diaries it was a feast of all involved in their lives. The Gilded Age was a fascinating period and we get a keen sense of how these women and their families lived. How they made their money, spent it. We get a passing glimpse of the notable artists of the time, authors such as Henry James and other who moved in this upper class orbit.

Sargent himself is mentioned throughout, and we do learn a bit about his life here and there. This though is not his biography, it is very much about these woman and the times in which they lived. Photographs of their paintings, as well as their house and a few other are included at the back of the book. I very much enjoyed this foray into a time that has come and gone.

ARC from publisher. ( )