John Singer Sargent was the most sought-after, highest-paid portrait painter at the turn of the 20th century. His American parents travelled through Europe from the mid-1850s and rarely stayed in one place for more than a few months. Thus, Singer Sargent was born in Florence. From 1872, Singer Sargent took art lessons in Florence. After the family had moved to Paris, he became a pupil of the portrait painter Carolus-Duran. From 1874 to 1880, Sargent travelled through Europe and North Africa, during which time he produced numerous landscapes and genre scenes in watercolour. His oeuvre includes some 900 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours and countless drawings. His portraits of the rich, beautiful and powerful, often life-size, make up the majority of his paintings.