Alpine Pool
John Singer Sargent American
While staying in the tiny hamlet of Purtud, in northern Italy, Sargent painted a series of images in oil and watercolor of the town’s small alpine brook. The flowing water challenged his unflagging interest in recording effects of sunlight. In Alpine Pool, he adopted a close vantage point and directed his gaze downward to the shimmering water—exploring its transparent and reflective qualities—as well as to the rocks and foliage along the banks. The result is a nearly abstract arrangement of form and color.