John Singer Sargent RA: Sargent And The Sea

Best known for his society portraits, American artist John Singer Sargent was also passionate about the sea, a subject which recurs in early works created during his late teens and early 20s. The exhibition Sargent and the Sea at the Royal Academy of Arts presents more than 80 paintings, drawings and watercolours dating from these early years, from 1874 to 1880, drawing on recent discoveries which have shed new light on Sargent's activity as a maritime painter. These include the unveiling of three important seascapes, and the location of other previously untraced pictures including Atlantic Sunset; The Derelict; and Seascape. Seascapes and coastal scenes depict views of the Normandy and Brittany coasts, Capri, Morocco and other Mediterranean ports which the young artist travelled to. One exceptional example is Setting Out to Fish, a major exhibition piece displayed at the Paris Salon in 1878, presented here alongside striking plein-air oil studies. In revealing this less familiar side of the artist we learn about Sargent's admiration for Turner and Courbet as well as talent as a draughtsman. The exhibition, organised by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and which has already been shown at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, now arrives at the Royal Academy of Arts.

COMPETITION:
We've got three pairs of tickets to give away to Sargent and the Sea. To enter the prize draw email us at competitions@londontown.com telling us which major exhibition piece displayed at the Paris Salon in 1878 is included in the exhibition. Send us your answer by midday Thursday 1st July with 'Sargent and the Sea' as the title of your email.