Existing comment:
Susan Strong 1870–1946
As a passionate admirer of the German composer Richard Wagner, Sargent must have relished the opportunity to portray Susan Strong, an opera singer renowned for her dazzling performances of Wagner's music. The New York City native had traveled to London in 1894 to study under the Hungarian-born pianist and composer Francis Korbay. A friend of Sargent, Korbay was then teaching at the Royal Academy of Music. In 1895, Strong made a sensational debut at London's Royal Opera House, singing the role of Sieglinde in Wagner's Die Walküre (1870). She built on that success with performances in Bayreuth, Germany, and New York City the following year.
The power of Strong's dramatic acting and dignified stage presence distinguished her from most contemporary singers, who appeared static and wooden in comparison. In this drawing, she adopts a confident pose suggestive of her commanding persona, while her flamboyantly arranged wrap lends a sense of drama.
Charcoal on paper, c. 1905
Detroit Institute of Arts; gift of Mrs. Stevenson Scott
This is the National Portrait Gallery sign in the exhibit. |