Cosmopolitan, gregarious, and prodigious, Sargent’s fashionable portraits were the most celebrated symbol of his brilliance. He was a master of many different painting styles—Impressionism, classical portraits, landscapes, watercolors, and murals—and his richly textured pallets reflected his lifelong reverence for Diego Velázquez and Franz Hals. Caught in the cross-fire of controversy on several occasions, he celebrated his passion for art through a breadth of subject matter ranging from portraits of two U.S. Presidents to paintings executed near the front lines during World War I.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.