ticketsMember | Make a donation

Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile

1890–91
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 768
After receiving a commission to paint a monumental mural for the Boston Public Library, Sargent chose an epic subject—the history of religion—and traveled to biblical lands for inspiration. In Egypt in 1890–91, the artist sought to record aspects of life in the region that evoked the distant past. In this canvas, he depicted a man using a simple but ancient irrigation device called a shadoof to fill a ditch with water from the Nile River. Sargent seems to have created

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Egyptians Raising Water from the Nile
  • Artist: John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
  • Date: 1890–91
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 25 x 21 in. (63.5 x 53.3 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950
  • Object Number: 50.130.16
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Mountain Landscape (from "Splendid Mountain Watercolours" Sketchbook)
John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
1870
Wetterhorn, Grindelwald (from "Splendid Mountain Watercolours" Sketchbook)
John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
1870
Mount Pilatus, recto (from "Splendid Mountain Watercolours" Sketchbook)
John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
1870
Mountain View, Mürren (from "Splendid Mountain Watercolours" Sketchbook)
John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
1870
View from Schilthorn (from "Splendid Mountain Watercolours" Sketchbook)
John Singer Sargent (American, Florence 1856–1925 London)
1870

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback