North Shore Arts Association will provide art enthusiasts with a rare opportunity to view works from private collections by two renowned artists and close friends.
The exhibit, “Belleroche & the John Singer Sargent Connection,” opens to the public Friday, July 11, with a ticketed gala event from 5 to 8 p.m. at North Shore Arts Association, 11 Pirates Lane in Gloucester.
This exhibit focuses on the special connection between John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) and Count Albert de Belleroche (1864–1944), who shared studios in both London and Paris.
“Two artists, a life-long friendship, 85 artworks, and 100 years later, ‘Belleroche & the John Singer Sargent Connection’ is dedicated to sharing a private collection of a North Shore family alongside selected works from The Sargent House Museum’s permanent collection,” the association said in a prepared statement. “The North Shore Arts Association, in partnership with The Sargent House Museum and local anonymous collectors, is excited to bring this exquisite exhibition to the Cape Ann community, highlighting local legend John Singer Sargent and the unforgettable Albert de Belleroche under one roof for a short time only.”
The extensive portrait exhibit will be on view through Aug. 3.
The historic art association is eager to celebrate and share these rarely-seen artworks with the public.
“This exhibit explores the connection to a country adored by both Sargent and Belleroche and the portraiture for which they became renowned. Large-scale lithographs, portraits, and drawings of women — many of whom modeled for both artists — fill the North Shore Arts Association’s Gordon Grant Room, now transformed to evoke the dark and moody ambiance of a French street café,” according to an exhibition statement.
Among the few works by Sargent on display is a portrait in charcoal of his cousin Charles Sprague, a key player in the development of the Arnold Arboretum. The portrait is on view, courtesy of The Sargent House Museum in Gloucester. Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the café tables situated around the exhibit to enjoy the show at a leisurely pace.
During their friendship, Belleroche encouraged Sargent to use his studio and introduced him to many wealthy socialites and patrons of the arts in Paris, which jump-started Sargent’s career as a commissioned portrait painter, according to the association.
Details on the gala and exhibit may be found at nsarts.org.
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston.com.