This paper discusses the artist John Singer Sargent, an American painter, though he was born in Florence, Italy. It examines
how he is noted for his portraits and
landscapes and how his first big success in London was his painting "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" (1885-6), which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1887 (and currently at the Tate Gallery). It looks at how the work is 68.5 inches high and 60.5 inches wide and just escapes being a square and how the slight vertical height advantage emphasizes the upright figures of two young girls and the plants in the yard around them. It evaluates how the work presents a near-fantasy subject in a
realistic manner, so realistic it seems photographic in its immediacy. The work is considered a triumph in terms of the artist's use of light and it is this latter element in particular that contributes to its realistic look and yet oddly fantasy quality at the same time.