John Singer Sargent And The Painting That Made His Reputation

Published July 11, 2013 at 9:50 AM PDT

"The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit" by John Singer Sargent, American, 1882. (Museum of Fine Arts Boston)

John Singer Sargent painted “The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit” more than 130 years ago, but his depiction of four little girls in white pinafores is still a favorite attraction at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Erica Hirshler, senior curator at the MFA says the youngest daughter holds a particular pull.

“Mothers always bring their children right up to Julia,” Hirshler told Here & Now. “It’s so much fun, because she’s so accessible and people use that figure that’s painted so close to us to engage their children, because she’s at child height.”

We pay another visit to the iconic work.

This story originally aired on January 29, 2010.

Guest:

Erica Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. She is also the author of “Sargent’s Daughters: The Biography of a Painting.”