From: Brian Shapiro
br ian.sha piro@comcast.net
Date: Sunday, January 4, 2004 

Recently, I found an image of a drawing by Sargent where he copies a famous painting by Hans Makart, called 'Moderne Amoretten' in German. Hans Makart was was a celebrity figure in Vienna, a painter, decorator, costume designer, and furniture designer, and an influence on Gustav Klimt, who worshipped him. Here is a link to an encyclopedic article I wrote about Makart [at wikipedia.org].

Moderne Amoretten, which translates to Modern Amoretti, or Modern Cupids, was one of the first paintings which made Makart famous. 
 

John Singer Sargent Modern Amoretten, After Hans Makart 1869-1870

Hans Makart Moderne Amoretten 1868

I'm attatching Sargent's copy, and a black-and-white image of the original painting. Unfortunately, I don't currently have a color image--I can obtain one for you if you want, but its from a book printed in the 70s in which the colors are not sharp or detailed. But, following Makart's reputation as a "magician of colors", they're dazzling, the background behind the foliage in a gold color, and the foreground made of many different hues. It was also part of a set of three paintings, the others I'm not including, and Makart also designed the frame which contained all three.

I wouldn't be much additional help for the Sargent Gallery, though I'm putting together a webpage of my own on cultural history that will include many important but ingored artists, like Makart, Couture, Leys, Decamps, Henner, Chaplin, Ribot, Carriere, Bastien-Lepage, etc. . . .

Notes:

Special thanks to Brian Shapiro, a friend of the JSS Gallery, for the image and info. 

• See Metropolitan Museum, New York
• See the year in review 1869-1870