Online Talk: John Singer Sargent – Painting the Age of Elegance

John Singer Sargent, The Misses Vickers, 1884 © Sheffield Museums

Join art history lecturer Stella Grace Lyons and delve into the unexpectedly varied work of this 19th century master.

In the 1890s John Singer Sargent complained to friends that he was painting three sitters a day 'with scarcely an interval between each sitting'. Today, Sargent is recognised for his dazzling society portraits: from presidents to oil magnates, patrons of the arts to aspirational tycoons. Undoubtedly one of the most well-known paintings in Sheffield's visual art collection is Sargent's The Misses Vickers.

Sargent’s portraits are only one expression of his artistic talent, he also created sun-drenched landscapes, beach scenes, and intimate works depicting childhood.

Join art history lecturer and writer Stella Grace Lyons to explore the surprisingly diverse work of this 19th century master.

Stella Grace Lyons is a freelance art history lecturer, speaker and writer accredited with The Arts Society. She has lectured across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Malta and Malaysia.

Stella gained her BA in the History of Art with a 1st class in her dissertation from the University of Bristol and her MA in History of Art from the University of Warwick. She spent a year studying Renaissance art in Italy at the British Institute of Florence and three months studying Venetian art in Venice. In addition, she attended drawing classes at the prestigious Charles H. Cecil studios in Florence, a private atelier that follows a curriculum based on the leading ateliers of nineteenth-century Paris.

For more information and to find out about Stella's future talks visit www.stellagracelyons.co.uk

This event is part of Art History Festival 2026 organised by the Association for Art History.

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