Carmencita

1890
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 766
Carmencita, the dancer known as the “Pearl of Seville,” was born in 1868 in Almería, on the southeastern coast of Spain, and became famous in her home country and in France during the 1880s. After she made her New York debut in 1889 at Niblo’s Garden, she was besieged with requests for private performances. John Singer Sargent arranged for her to perform in Chase’s studio on the evening of April 1, 1890. Afterward, Chase painted this lively portrait of the dancer, in which he suggested the audience’s enthusiasm by including the gold bracelet and flowers they had tossed at her feet. Sargent’s own portrait of Carmencita (also 1890) is in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Carmencita
  • Artist: William Merritt Chase (American, Williamsburg, Indiana 1849–1916 New York)
  • Date: 1890
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 69 7/8 x 40 7/8 in. ( 177.5 x 103.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Sir William Van Horne, 1906
  • Object Number: 06.969
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.