Sargent & Spain: Art Lecture at the JCCSF

In this docent talk at the JCCSF you’ll get a front row seat to view an array of Sargent’s art which showcased Spain’s people, architecture, and magnificent urban and rural landscapes. This exhibition, in its exclusive West coast stop at the Legion of Honor, is the first to explore the influence of Spanish culture on Sargent’s dynamic visual practice. Celebrated as the society portraitist of his era, Sargent influenced a generation of American painters. His captivation with Spain, which developed over the course of seven visits taken from 1879 to 1912, including the picturesque island of Majorca, acted as a source of rejuvenation and inspiration to him. He studied Spanish masters old and new, lavishing particular attention on works by Diego Velázquez in the Prado. Intrigued by Spanish dance and music, Sargent created dynamic views of flamenco and the famous dancer La Carmencita.

Stick around afterwards for a special Spanish music performance by famed guitarist Larry Ferrara.

Luanne Andreotti is an arts writer and editor and a docent at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF). Luanne received her Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the Medill School of Northwestern University and her Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is currently the editor-in-chief of docent to docent Magazine, an online FAMSF resource she co-founded to connect the docent community. Luanne began her career as an on-air reporter for a CBS affiliate in central Pennsylvania, and at CNN in Atlanta as a news writer and on-air reporter for the southeast bureau and Showbiz Today. She left broadcasting to write about art and design and has served as an editor and contributor to newspapers and magazines nationwide, including Metropolitan Home, Gentry, Northern California Home and Design, Dwell, San Francisco Examiner, Divine Caroline, and Elle Décor. She segued to the web as West Coast Editor of Ecosalon.com, a magazine covering mindful living.  She also produced the book Nursery Style for the design brand, Serena and Lily. Luanne enjoys sharing her life-long passion for figurative art, art history, fashion, and design with diverse audiences of all ages. 

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) are comprised of two iconic sites in San Francisco’s beautiful parks- the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and Legion of Honor Museum in Lincoln Park. As the largest public arts institution in the western United States, the Museums house a world-class collection of 151,000 artworks that span more than 5,000 years. The JCCSF and FAMSF have collaborated for over a decade, and we are grateful that FAMSF graciously shares the beauty and history of their collections with the community through inspiring educational docent talks.