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Eva Gauthier 1885–1958
Known as the "High Priestess of Modern Song," Canadian-born Eva Gauthier began her career as an opera singer in Europe. A trip to Java, Indonesia, in 1910 led her to devote four years to studying local music in Japan, China, Singapore, Malaya (now part of Malaysia), Australia, and New Zealand. Following the outbreak of the First World War, Gauthier settled in New York City, where she was the first singer to perform Javanese music. Her ability to sing dissonant melodies was unusual among North Americans and Europeans and piqued the interest of contemporary composers, whose modernist compositions she also performed.
This drawing is one of two charcoal portraits that Sargent gave to Gauthier, telling her that one of her Javanese songs reminded him of his youth. In 1889, Sargent had painted and sketched dancers featured in a re-creation of a Javanese village at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
Charcoal on paper, c. 1920
The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Print Collection; gift of Claire Gauthier
This is the National Portrait Gallery sign in the exhibit. |